･ Midnight Snack ･
by prettiugli
Summary: A hungry, spiky-haired vampire preys on a handsome, blue-eyed CEO.
1. Chapter 1

Yami sat on the swing, gazing up at the half-moon covered by silver clouds, his mind spinning, weak with hunger.  
Damn. It had felt like ages since he had last eaten, and he knew it was wrong to prey on children, but they were just…so malleable, and willing!  
Their wounds were also easily explained away by rough-play…it was a win-win, except the other vampires shunned him for banking on easy meals.

Sighing sadly to himself, he gave the ground a frustrated kick, scattering the tanbark with a loud rustle.

A warm but pungent scent of an animal drifted by, and Yami jerked his head up, sniffing tentatively.  
Animal blood was much more humane to consume.

The soft padding of paws was accompanied by the tinkle of a collar, and then heavy footsteps of a human.

_Damn, it's a pet,_ Yami growled, gripping the swing tightly, growing weaker by the minute.

Kaiba gave the leash a stern tug, and his dog followed him dutifully after giving the fence a few more stubborn sniffs.

His dog froze mid-step and sat down oddly in the middle of the sidewalk, gazing balefully at him with her large brown eyes.

"What?" Kaiba growled, tugging the leash again, wondering what had gotten into her. "I know I'm walking you late, but it's the park. You love the park…come _on!"_

His dog whined anxiously, but Kaiba ignored her, tugging her in through the park gates and feeling her sit down stubbornly again.

"Seriously?" Kaiba seethed, dropping the leash and folding his arms tightly across his chest, standing over her with an exasperated look on his face. "What's wrong now? Bathroom? You just went."

To his annoyance, she lay down on the ground and flicked her ears sadly, refusing to move from the park entrance with her tail draped halfway on the sidewalk.

Yami watched this exchange with growing excitement. Maybe the pet owner would be a delicious meal! He was tall and slender, meaning he could take more than two sips without fear of the human collapsing!

"Your dog is cute!" Yami called, hearing his own voice echo strangely in the empty park, and he shivered with suppressed excitement. A meal…finally, a proper meal!

Kaiba rolled his eyes and ignored the stranger behind him, giving his dog a stern glare.

"Get up now, or we go home."

Yami rose from the swing and approached the dog owner tentatively, fully aware that the animal feared him. He made eye-contact with the dog and narrowed his eyes, commanding it to stay down as he approached to give her a few gentle pats on her head.

He could feel her vibrating with fear underneath his palm, but he ignored it, turning his attention to the human, gazing up into his face and taking in his handsome features.

A beautiful human…just his luck! A pretty and tasty meal….

"I didn't say you could touch her," Kaiba said coldly, feeling himself slowly grow oddly numb from the way the stranger was staring daggers at him.

He had wild, spiky hair, and large alluring violet eyes that Kaiba sank into the moment they made eye contact. His lips were beautifully plump, almost like a woman's, but his jawline was sharp, which dipped down into a slender neck, displaying a prominent Adam's apple and slender shoulders.

A man. A very beautiful man.

"What's her name?" Yami asked readily, pushing gently into the human's mind, and he encountered a surprisingly solid mental wall. He backed away quickly, understanding that an adult's mind was not as soft as a child's, so he needed to be sneaky.

"Not telling you," Kaiba replied nastily, wondering why he suddenly felt sleepy. He looked away quickly and heard the man hiss angrily at him.

"Hey, look at me," Yami growled, and the human reluctantly met his eyes again. "Tell me your name."

"Seto…" the CEO replied, his own name falling from his lips against his will, and he blinked rapidly, feeling an odd haze settle heavily at the front of his mind.

Yami rose to his feet and bravely rested a hand on the human's shoulder, still gazing steadily into his eyes which were growing darker under his hypnosis.

"Nice to meet you…Seto," Yami breathed, inching daringly closer and wondering if he could break eye-contact now to take a bite. "You're…quite handsome."

Kaiba blinked again, weakening when an overpowering sweet stench enveloped him, causing his vision to blur mightily, and he was unable to focus on anything other than the delicate face hovering before him.  
Was he being…seduced?  
Who was this stranger?  
And what was this odd…perfume?

"How about a kiss?" Yami asked quietly, pressing down on Kaiba's shoulder and standing up on his tiptoes, "Bend down."

Kaiba obeyed against his will as an invisible force bent him forward, and the next thing he knew, he was kissing the spiky-haired stranger with soft tenderness. His breath was hot against Kaiba's skin, his lips tasting like something unique and sweet, but familiar at the same time.

Electrified and rooted to the spot with arousal, Kaiba daringly parted his lips and tried to deepen the kiss, his mind screaming at him to stop, and he dimly wondered what he was doing.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered, aside from the hot breath panning across his cheek and traveling down to his neck where the stranger was now kissing and sucking on his skin with a strange fervor, each lick of his tongue sending a delicious shiver up his body.

Yami grinned triumphantly and gently sank his fangs into the soft, pale flesh, his mind humming with relief as he took a tentative sip, tasting the wonderful thick nectar that trickled down his throat, quenching his thirst.

His stomach churned with hunger, and he pulled Kaiba into a tight embrace, inhaling deeply and taking another long drink, feeling the human tremble wonderfully in his arms.

_Last…one_, Yami swore weakly to himself, shuddering happily as he took a hurried gulp and pulled away softly, making sure to spit on the wound so it would heal faster.

Kaiba struggled to keep his eyes open, his vision going green as the sweet perfume coupled with the tight embrace from the stranger made every breath difficult. What…was…happening?  
Were they kissing, or not kissing?

Finally, the stranger released him and grinned prettily at him in the semi-darkness, licking his lips sensually as he spoke, "Thank you…Seto. I feel better now."

Dizzy with confusion, Kaiba watched the man give him a casual wave over his shoulder and side-step his dog before heading down the sidewalk, disappearing down the street.

Kaiba dropped to his knees and tried to calm his rapidly pounding heart, his ears ringing with a strange sound.

His dog whined at him and licked his fingers reassuringly.

"I think…I got picked up," Kaiba said weakly, giving her nose a soft pat before sitting down fully on the concrete beside her. "Do you think I'll see him again?"

The dog ignored him and trotted forward with her tail hanging low, and Kaiba sighed, feeling his neck itch strangely. He reached up to scratch it, and his fingers came away with blood.

Shocked, Kaiba gently patted the wound, cursing when he realized two mosquitoes had bitten him, and the bites had already swollen to the size of a small coin. Goddammit.  
This was why he detested walking the dog at night.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Kaiba could not get the spiky-haired man out of his mind.

He found himself thinking about the mystery gentleman every day of the week, every minute of the day.  
Nothing he did gave him relief, so Kaiba had accepted that he was in love.

There was no feeling he had ever encountered that made him feel this tightening in his chest and the swooping in his stomach, so he chalked it up to having been swept off his feet.

The only clue that could lead him to the man were the two circular welts on his neck that had faded and shrunk after three days. At first, he thought they were mosquito bites, but after some quick research, Kaiba discovered he wasn't the only recipient of these strange bites.

After several minutes of searching, he found a website full of angry customer reviews for a bar in Downtown Domino where people mentioned receiving these mysterious bumps on their skin, so he chose to follow that lead and dig deeper.

Scrolling through the feedback page, Kaiba smirked as he read the disgruntled patron's comments.

_[two stars]  
"Bartender is extremely unfriendly. I was chatting with a pretty lady, and the next thing I know, I wake up in my apartment with two, very itchy mosquito bites on my neck. Bug infestation. Don't go near this establishment."_

_[one star]  
"This place needs to be inspected for cleanliness by public health and safety workers. Getting a drink from the bartender was like pulling teeth. What's more, I got bitten by bugs all over my body: wrist, neck, thighs…. I will not be back."_

_[one star]  
"STAY AWAY! They have dirty chairs or booths. Got two very itchy bites on my arm. Went to the dermatologist and they gave me a cream after saying it wasn't poisonous, but I felt dizzy, and he said it was because I drank alcohol. Either way, DO NOT COME HERE."_

_[two stars]_

_"The regular patrons there are nice and friendly, but the bartender is a nightmare. After several drinks, I was so drunk I couldn't stand, and someone helped me home, but what people say about the itchy bug bites is true. I may have accidentally scratched them in my drunken sleep and bled on my new sheets…yuck."_

_[five stars]_

_"THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! My friends and I come here to get blackout drunk all the time, and the patrons are nice, because they call us a cab every time.  
I know I can get a safe ride home if I blackout here.  
Who cares if this place has bugs? The place looks clean and their drinks are good!_

_[one star]_

_"Horrible.  
The bar looks clean, but I left with two itchy bites on my neck.  
They need to call an exterminator.  
Reviews about the patrons being nice are true. After only one drink, a girl offered to call me a cab, which was a bit excessive, but I felt safe here.  
I love their mixed drinks here, but I won't be back."_

Smiling gleefully to himself, Kaiba snapped his laptop shut and hastily rose to his feet, excitement coursing through his veins.  
This was where he would find the pretty, spiky-haired man.  
He was absolutely sure of it.

* * *

"Your first adult meal this decade?" The bartender snickered, passing Yami his drink and leaning forward with a grin. "That's a shocking change for _child-feeder_ like you."

"Please, say it louder," Yami growled coldly, gripping his drink with fury, his cheeks burning hot. "I refuse to keep an adult human as a pet or slave. Some children come forward willingly."

"And you wonder why everyone hates you," the bartender rolled his eyes and walked away to tend to another vampire who was giving them dirty looks.

Sighing anxiously to himself, Yami stared at the small oval light reflects hovering in his drink, his stomach churning with pain…again.

He was now hungrier than ever, after having taken several large gulps as opposed to the careful sips his body was accustomed to receiving, the hunger-hangover was proving difficult to cure.

As a result, the beautiful pale face of the human whose name he had already forgotten, hovered incessantly at the front of his mind. Pale skin…wonderfully high cheekbones and neat hair….

"_A human,"_ the bartender breathed, edging closer towards Yami and eyeing the doorway where a tall, slender figure stood, motionless. "Rare, but not unheard of. Does he know that he's walking in through death's door?"

"Don't care," Yami drawled, pushing the glass across the counter slowly and tapping the rim with his nail. "Hit me again."

"Look, _werewolf Gaius_ is already circling him," the bartender continued, clearly eager to narrate a play-by-play. "Someone is getting bitten tonight—"

"I asked for a refill, and I don't care," Yami interrupted furiously, waving the glass and wishing he could feel the headrush of being blood-drunk again and not liquor-drunk. One was more fulfilling than the other.

Kaiba stood anxiously the doorway, doing his best to hide his fear when a man taller than himself approached him and bowed deeply, flashing a thousand-watt smile.

"Welcome…" the man drawled, gesturing for him to step inside. "What brings you to this…establishment, Mr…?"

Kaiba ignored him and fixated on the spiky-haired individual sitting at the bar with his back turned. Found him! Was that him? It had to him!

"He's…coming here…" the bartender breathed, snatching up Yami's glass and turning around to fill it quickly for the sake of something to do.

He didn't want to serve the human, because it meant the human would stay, and the longer the human stayed, the shorter his lifespan.

Also, this was a pretty human, so the danger increased tenfold.

"Hey," Kaiba approached the spiky-haired figure and sat down beside him, his heart pounding thickly in his chest when he realized the entire bar had gone awfully quiet.

Yami froze, turning to meet the gaze of the human sitting beside him, and his breath left his body in a sudden _whoosh!_

"You ditched me, so I found you," Kaiba said readily, feeling the air humming with an odd tension. He ignored it, choosing instead to fixate on a pair of beautiful, angular eyes.

He knew this was a "dirty" bar where everyone got bug bites the moment they sat down, but that was all bullshit because everyone was just acting like drunk idiots.

"Y-You found me," Yami said weakly, unable to meet the human's gaze and fully aware that the bartender was gaping at him. "Who are you again?"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if he was hallucinating or had gone crazy.

Was this guy fucking serious? For the past month, all he could think about was their strange meeting and the kiss that had left him weak in the knees and dizzy for three days.  
Did that encounter mean nothing to this spiky-haired individual?

"Who am I?" Kaiba fumed, wondering if he ought to drag this man outside into the alleyway and forcefully kiss some sense back into him. "You don't remember me?"

Yami gave the human an appraising look, his eyes slowly roaming from the top of his head down to the tips of his very shiny dress shoes.  
Well-dressed, neat, prim and proper…and very handsome—of course he remembered this man.  
It was the name that eluded him.  
This was his meal in the park who had been walking the dog.  
Was he an angelic human who wasn't unaccustomed to rejection, perhaps?  
Oh…this was bad.  
He didn't want contact with the same human again.  
Wasn't that against the rules somewhere?  
But this human had sought him out willingly.  
Did that mean…another meal was in his future?

"I forgot your name, Mr. Dog Owner," Yami said apologetically, feeling the air rumble with discontent from surrounding patrons who were obviously eavesdropping. "Can I buy you a drink?"

_Mr. Dog Owner?_ Kaiba reeled privately, gripping his knees tightly while his head spun with confusion and disappointment.

"No, allow me," the werewolf slinked forward between them and leaned across the counter, grinning evilly at the bartender. "Two whiskeys, Smelly, and make them neat. This man looks like he takes them neat."

"I'm here to take you out…right now," Kaiba growled, rising to his feet and grabbing Yami by the arm, dragging him through the bar towards the door. "I can't fucking believe you forgot my name."

Unable to protest, Yami kept his mouth shut and his head lowered, letting the human lead him out of the bar, his chest tight with a strange feeling.

Was it okay to feed on this human again tonight?  
He knew the human meant well, but he was…_so _hungry.

They stepped out into the cool night air, and Kaiba pulled Yami into a narrow alleyway and hovered threateningly above him, taking in his slightly wide-eyed expression.

Good, he wasn't hallucinating. This man was just as pretty as he had remembered.

"Ah! I think I know," Yami said bravely, wondering why it felt like he was the one being hunted when in fact he was the superior being. "Seto…right?"

"Congrats," Kaiba replied sarcastically, his heart pounding excitedly in his chest almost as if it had a mind of its own. "You've won a prize."

This man smelled sweet…so sweet, and it was addicting, alluring, irresistible—unlike anything he had ever encountered before.

"What prize?" Yami cried, floundering when he felt Kaiba advance onto him further and pin him up against the brick wall, the scent of his warmth dangerously overpowering.

"This." Kaiba bared his teeth and daringly pressed his nose into Yami's spiky crop of bangs, taking a deep breath and feeling himself grow weak while mumbling, "don't ever forget my fucking name, got it?"

Yami nodded stiffly, trembling with restraint as he stood there, letting the human dive nose-first into his pheromone cloud seemingly without a care in the world.

Daring himself to feel happy, Yami reached up to wrap his arms tightly around the human's slender shoulders, giving him a firm squeeze, listening to the steady pound of Seto's heartbeat.

Wonderful. Perhaps this was too good to be true!  
Had he finally successfully caught a human?!

Kaiba tightened his grip around Yami's waist and pulled him flush against his own body, his knees weakening as the wonderful, flowery scent became overpowering.

"You smell…amazing," Kaiba mumbled, trailing his lips down the bridge of Yami's slender nose, trying to hold his breath but failing because his lungs were so happy and full.

"I'm not good for you," Yami said nervously, leaning away from Kaiba's lips. If a human inhaled too much of his pheromones, it would cause amnesia, dizziness, and often…fainting.

"Yeah, I know, you're not good for me," Kaiba replied darkly, dipping his head down blindly and trying to find Yami's lips without opening his eyes. "But I found you…so, I win."

"You don't win anything," Yami whispered frantically, his own resolve slipping when Kaiba's soft lips brushed dangerously over his own, and before he could protest any further, he found himself being kissed sweetly, softly, with gentle tenderness that made his stomach dip down to the ground and his heart skip several beats.

Growing impossibly dizzy, Kaiba leaned Yami heavily against the wall, shoving his forehead tightly up against Yami's spiky blond bangs and diving down for another warm kiss, his mind humming wonderfully and shutting off.  
Yes, this was pure love.

Yami felt Kaiba's grip around his waist weakening alarmingly fast, and he shivered with a mixture of arousal and hunger. He couldn't do it…he shouldn't do it…but Kaiba's deliciously pale neck was so close, so close…and his skin was giving off a heavenly scent.

Baring his fangs, Yami lightly kissed his way down Kaiba's neck before he sunk his teeth down ever so slowly and took a light sip, his head rushing wonderfully as the heated liquid zipped across his tongue and trickled down his throat, bringing sweet relief.

Breathing heavily with excitement, Yami dared to take another sip, and another, and another, unable to stop himself. He had to stop…!

Jerking away forcefully, Yami thunked his head back against the wall, bright spots dotting his vision as he felt his strength return in a sudden rush. The pain in his stomach had subsided, the cloudiness in his mind had gone, and the constant drowsiness he had been experiencing vanished.  
A-Amazing…!

His first time feeding on an adult in years…he'd really forgotten what it felt like.

"Hey…" Kaiba breathed weakly, now sagging heavily against Yami's body, his fingertips tingling strangely. "…Don't stop. Did I say you could stop?"

Yami blinked incredulously at the human and held his arms around to steady Kaiba on his feet, instinctively leaning up to give him a light peck on the mouth as a thank you. When he pulled away, he could taste blood on his lips, and he panicked, licking the tops of his teeth and seeing Kaiba's eyes darken. Shit.  
Kaiba had also tasted the blood, hadn't he? Caught.

"Did you bite me?" The corners of Kaiba's mouth twitched upward into a smirk, thinking he had finally found someone kinkier than himself. "…Cute."

"You like being bitten?" Yami gasped, his vision glowing brightly again, and he shut his eyes, willing himself to adjust to his night-vision.  
Adult blood really was a cure-all.  
He had been slowly losing his eyesight over the decades due to his refusal to feed properly, and now that he could see clearly again, Kaiba looked more handsome than ever.

"Yeah, I like it…" Kaiba grit his teeth, wondering why he was feeling so faint. "I—"

He passed out briefly.

Yami held on tightly as Kaiba weight sagged in his arms, and he felt a deep rush of guilt. Oh no….! He had overdone it. How many sips had he taken? In his frenzy, he hadn't been counting. Had he killed the human?

"Seto?" Yami gave Kaiba a shake, managing to inch one hand up to check his pulse, and to his relief, he found a faint heartbeat.

_Fuck! I'll never feed on him again,_ Yami cursed. He bent down to gently gather the unconscious CEO in his arms, thankful that he had his full strength, and he walked slowly back into the bar, ready to be ridiculed by the other vampires.

Kaiba opened his eyes slowly, hearing hostile snickers around him and the first thing he saw were small baubles of light hanging above his head. Bar lights.

He felt himself being gently lowered onto a bar stool while his head spun terribly with a headache and everything turned green.

"Water. Get him some water," Yami demanded, glaring at the bartender. "Smelly, are you fucking listening? I said, a glass of water…now."

"Aye aye," the bartender gave a mocking salute, and Kaiba heard the soft clicking of glass coming from behind the bar.

"I'm sorry, I really am," Yami repeated, steadying Kaiba on the barstool when he saw the handsome man sway dangerously again. "Let me call you a cab. Do you have a phone?"

"Call the coroner instead," someone snickered in the back, and there was rambunctious laughter followed by the clinking of glass as they toasted each other merrily.

The bartender slammed the glass of water down in front of Kaiba so hard, Kaiba jumped, startled by the sudden aggression.

"This is your first and last drink," the man snarled coldly. "Never come back."

Kaiba accepted the water begrudgingly and took a light sip, feeling himself getting sleepy. What the hell…was the water drugged? He pressed a hand to his forehead and drifted off slightly. Holy shit…he was in trouble.

"I'm calling you a cab," Yami insisted shakily, ignoring the other vampires at the table eyeing Kaiba hungrily with an evil glint in their eyes. He could feel their malicious intent emanating from across the room. He knew they would try to follow this human home and feed on him while he slept because he was already weak and looked like a willing participant.

Worst case scenario: they would leave Kaiba half-dead in his bed, waiting to be discovered by another human…if he was that lucky.

"He's…mine," Yami hissed, turning to address the group of vampires behind him, and he caught another round of hostile laughter.

"Then mark him…as if you would _dare_," one of the women grinned, flashing her fangs threateningly. "But you won't because you're a filthy child-feeder. So, he's fair game. Game on, _your royal highness._"

She threw her head back and cackled, raising her wine glass full of blood in a taunting toast, and the rest of her companions followed suit, snickering.

Yami curled his fists tightly in anger, his gaze darting frantically between the hostile group of vampires, to the couple of werewolves in the corner, to the bartender turned away, ignoring them, and to Kaiba, who still had his head buried in his arms, slowly sliding off the bar stool, clearly having passed out again.

"I'm getting you home," Yami said gently, grabbing Kaiba's arm and draping it over his shoulder, helping him to his feet. He shot the vampires another glare as Kaiba sagged heavily against him and leaned in to give him another sniff.

Kaiba felt his head rush wonderfully as the delicious, warm scent filled his lungs, and his mind went blissfully blank again.  
Oh…fuck.  
What cologne was this guy wearing?  
And why had he never smelled anything this good before?

"Stop…!" Yami cried anxiously, leaning away and practically dragging Kaiba out through the doors with the sounds of cold laughter ringing terribly in his ears.

"Give me your phone," Yami said through gritted teeth, patting Kaiba's slender legs for a pocket and hastily fishing out the phone without waiting for permission. The sooner they left, the safer Kaiba would be.

Yami glanced down at the screen, thankful that there was a missed call from a number labeled 'Home phone - M", and he tapped the notification to call it back, praying a woman wouldn't answer the phone.

_If he has a girlfriend or wife waiting for him at home…. _Yami paled at the thought and pushed it aside quickly when the phone began ringing.

_"SETO!"_ A young boy's voice sounded shrilly through the phone and Yami winced, growing cold all over. No…no, no, no, no! A child?!  
This was worse than a woman.  
Ten times worse. A thousand times worse.

_"Seto where are you? You promised we could play together because this was your last day off! Isono is making me go to bed, and I'm mad at you for breaking your promise! COME HOME NOW, YOU BUTTHEAD."_

"What is your address?" Yami asked clumsily, his dread rising higher every passing second Kaiba was growing heavier beside him. "Seto is…drunk and barely awake."

"What?" the child whined, and the phone changed hands. A worried man's voice floated through the receiver.

_"Master Kaiba?"_

_Master?_ Yami thought fearfully, wondering what he'd gotten himself into, and he repeated, "Seto is drunk and barely conscious. We need an address for a cab."

"Stay right there," the man commanded sternly. "Give me your location instead, and a car will come."

Rattled, Yami hastily gave the name of the bar and listened to the silence on the other end.

"Hello?" He said tentatively, wondering if the child or the man had hung up, but to his relief, an answer came after a long pause.

"You are close by. I will be there in ten minutes. Do not leave him alone." The dial tone beeped coldly, and Yami sighed, slipping the phone back into Kaiba's pocket and feeling the CEO shift uncomfortably beside him.

"Do you need to sit?" Yami asked nervously, thinking the well-dressed man would look very ungraceful indeed while slumped over on the curb, but outside on the street was safer than inside the bar.

"No…I need to kiss you," Kaiba answered mischievously, reaching forward and pulling Yami into a playful embrace, managing to land a sloppy wet kiss on the man's cheek before he slipped a palm up his cheek to turn his head, and their lips connected.

Yami blinked rapidly, taken aback by the sudden advance, and he melted happily when a soft, silky tongue padded its way past his lower lip and licked suggestively at the tops of his teeth. He parted his mouth hungrily, drinking in Kaiba's sweet breath, and almost lost his balance when Kaiba leaned heavily onto him, clearly still weak on his feet but intent on kissing him firmly.

Kaiba felt himself relax instantly, and his heart thundered excitedly inside his chest as warm hands cupped his face, steadying him on his feet while their tongues danced together in a happy greeting. He pulled away slowly for air, his lips swelling wonderfully as they burned with a strange warmth.

"Again…" Kaiba demanded sleepily, nuzzling his nose into a crop of blond bangs that was slowly growing fuzzy in his vision. "Come here…"

"No, stop," Yami commanded, and he felt the human freeze instantly.

Kaiba felt his entire body turn solid and he couldn't move a muscle. A slow trickle of fear spread through his chest as he tried to wiggle his fingers or lean forward to kiss Yami again, but it was as if he had been cemented in place.

"I'm sorry. I mean, you're sick, so don't…do that anymore," Yami said, reminding himself to keep his power in check when he was at full strength. "Can you move? You can move…right?"

Kaiba blinked. His body relaxed instantly, and his heart began beating at a normal rate, but this time, his ears were ringing terribly. He _had_ been drugged inside that bar! There was nothing supernatural about it.

A long black car pulled up to the curb, and Yami tried to keep the shock from showing on his face when a smartly dressed manservant exited the driver's seat and rushed to get the door.

"Master Kaiba," the man bowed stiffly and stood by the open door. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah…" Kaiba said weakly, realizing his legs had turned into pudding and he could no longer stand. The drug was strong and taking full effect now.  
S-Shit…thank god this spiky-haired guy was a fucking hero and had called for Isono instead of taking him somewhere and…

Shaking his head stiffly, Kaiba let Yami help him into the backseat of his limo.

"Well, see you around," Yami said awkwardly, leaning out of the car, but a cold hand caught him by the arm and yanked him inside with surprising force.

"You're not going back in there," Kaiba growled breathlessly, his vision fading dangerously into green again. "They drugged me, which means they'll drug you. It's dangerous in there."

Yami swallowed thinly, realizing this man was chalking up the effects of blood loss to…being drugged. "I'll be fine."

"No, get in," Kaiba said, and then he turned to address his manservant. "Isono, get the door. We're taking him home."

"Home?" Yami repeated incredulously, and Kaiba gave him another tug that sent him tumbling face-first across his long legs while the limo's door slammed shut at his heels.

"You're taking me to my home or your home?" Yami asked frantically, his heart racing with panic. If they asked him for an address, he couldn't give one.  
He was currently homeless.  
Well…not really, but he didn't have an address he could give.

"Your home," Kaiba answered cleverly, taking this opportunity to learn his new soon-to-be-boyfriend's address. "Or mine. Either works."

"I don't want to wake my roommates," Yami lied frantically, thinking he could sneak away once Kaiba fell asleep. "If you don't mind, I'll stay with you tonight."

He could also guard the doors and windows to make sure the other vampires wouldn't come hunting.

Isono gripped the wheel tightly. Something was off about this young man, but he seemed to have Mr. Kaiba's interest at heart, taking care of him when he was drunk instead of taking advantage of him, so he would hold his suspicions at bay…for now.

The car pulled onto an unmarked road with smooth pavement, and Yami marveled at the acres of space that stretched out before them. This man was…rich. Perhaps he was safe out here on the outskirts of the city.

Now deeply excited, Yami waited until the car came to a complete stop by a large fountain before he hopped out to crane his neck upwards, gazing at the monstrous house before him. It was more like a castle, or a mansion.

The double-wide doors had a magnificent dragon's head etched into the glass panes, and Yami could not stop gawking.

He heard a shuffle behind him, and he hastily draped Kaiba's arm over his shoulder to help him out of the car, fully aware of the manservant's burning gaze fixed on their backs as they slowly made their way up the marble steps into the enormous home.

The doors inched back with a mechanized whirring sound, and Yami froze, his toe on the bevel, feeling a physical wall pushing him out of the house.  
Ah damn.  
It had been so long since he had been anywhere near a human home, he had almost forgotten….

"May I come in?" Yami asked gently, giving Kaiba a nudge, and Kaiba nodded heavily, half-asleep, barely conscious.

"Thank you," Yami said darkly, feeling the barrier fall away and he managed to step inside.

He eyed his surroundings with a twinge of envy, taking in the luscious furniture that was glowing under the warm chandelier above their heads, and an elegant staircase was flanked by two, large, marble pillars.

"…Up…" Kaiba breathed, growing weaker by the second. "Fuck…what did he give me?"

"Water," Yami muttered, contemplating picking Kaiba up and carrying him, but he knew his sudden display of strength would draw immediate suspicion from the manservant who was following them closely from behind.

"Fourth door, here," Isono hurried forward and led Yami inside, watching with increasing worry as the spiky-haired individual managed to lift Kaiba's long legs and set him gently on the bed.

The master groaned and rolled over on his side, his skin deathly pale.

"I'll watch over him tonight," Yami said firmly, knowing the manservant would be no match for the vampires if they came through the window in their usual hunting groups. "You should stay with the child."

Isono blinked rapidly, realizing he was being ordered around, and he bristled angrily. "No. I will stay here and watch him until he wakes up. You may pick any guest room and make yourself comfortable."

Yami narrowed his eyes and gazed steadily into the manservant's face, taking in his neat crop of hair, thin almond eyes and strong jawline. A no-nonsense man.

"I said…go _watch the child_," Yami breathed, exerting a slight pressure into the man's mind and feeling him falter immediately, not expecting the heavy onslaught of persuasion. "Sleep in the child's room and close all the windows in the house. Go, now."

Isono expression went eerily blank as he bowed stiffly and marched out of the room.

Determined, Yami turned around to press two fingers against Kaiba's neck, checking for a pulse. One was there; a strong, steady heartbeat, and Yami shut his eyes as a wave of relief consumed him.  
He had not killed this man, but he had been very close.  
Now he had to make amends and watch over him and his family for the next month to make sure he had not led a nest of vampires into this home.

Yami rushed to the window and stuck his head out, taking a moment to appreciate the sprawling ocean of green grass before he turned to glance up, seeing the railing of the roof sticking out, an arm's length away.

He climbed out of the window and crawled nimbly up on the roof, stepping lightly as he passed several windows. When he finally reached the top, he was relieved to see no attic windows or hatches. The roof was secure.

Slowly stripping off his clothes, Yami left them in a neat pile in the crook of the chimney stack, and he shivered, quickly shrinking himself down into his animal form. His skin itched terribly as fur sprouted quicker than normal over his body, and his spine ached as it compressed.

Wincing in pain, Yami forced himself to slow down.  
It had been a while since he had transformed while on a full stomach when he had been accustomed to doing it on an empty one.

His hands shrunk steadily, turning into tiny curved talons, and soft pink pads appeared in his palms.

Raising a paw to scratch behind his ear, Yami stretched his jaw out in a yawn and flicked his tail, satisfied.

He hopped down from the roof and found the open window with ease.

Jumping back inside, he leapt into the bed with a soft _thump!_ and sat beside Kaiba's sleeping form, taking a moment to gaze steadily into his handsome face before snuggling himself down onto the soft comforter.

The hypnotized manservant would be coming in to shut the windows any time now….

Drifting off slowly, Yami struggled to keep his eyes open, but found it extremely difficult because the bed was warm…Kaiba's body was warm…everything was warm.

* * *

**Author's note:  
**  
New story new story whaddyathink? Yami's final form is a cat.

Please leave a review!

Edited by: Taedae

Title idea from: Sam Pristine

Hugs,

Ugli


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba rolled over in his sleep, and something furry brushed across his nose.

He slowly cracked an eye open and saw a spotted tail lying flat beside his face.

Bolting upright in shock, Kaiba's head spun terribly and the room tilted in his vision.

He gripped the sheets to his chest, his heart pounding furiously while he stared at the stray cat sleeping peacefully on the pillow. W-What the fuck?!

"Isono!" Kaiba shouted, and Yami jerked awake, his blood running cold when he realized he had been discovered.

Yami bounded off the bed and raced for the window, his paws hitting the glass painfully when he landed face-first against the closed panes.

_Ow!_ He growled as he slid to the floor. Eyeing the latch angrily, he flicked his tail in annoyance at Kaiba.  
Crap. This was bad.  
Why was this human awake so early? The sun had barely risen!

"Come here…!" Kaiba threw the covers off his body and lunged at the cat, intent on catching it.

Yami let out a panicked cry and dodged Kaiba's outstretched hands, dashing under the bed and sitting at the far back against one of the large bedposts, trying to calm his own pounding heart.

He saw a pair of feet circle the bed and a set of knees appeared. Shrinking away nervously, Yami eyed the window ledge again, furious with himself. What would happen if the human caught him? He'd just be thrown out…right? But his clothes were still on the roof!

Kaiba sat stiffly beside the bed and felt an aching headache coming on. His body was strangely sore, and his memory from last night was foggy. All he could remember was the pretty, spiky-haired man's soft kisses and warm hands helping him into bed after he'd been drugged at the bar.

Did this cat belong to the mysterious stranger?

_What a way to leave an impression_, Kaiba fumed, hearing the door click open and Isono came rushing inside, standing over him breathlessly, trying to help him to his feet.

"Master Kaiba, what's wrong? Do I need to call a doctor?" Isono wrung his hands nervously, remembering Kaiba's drunken behavior last night, and he was relieved to see that the master had regained some of his color.

"There's a fucking cat," Kaiba hissed, pointing underneath the bed. "That guy left his damn cat with me. What the fuck!"

Yami froze and breathed a tight sigh of relief.  
Oh…good. He hadn't been completely forgotten, so perhaps it was safe to come out and expect to live. He inched to the edge of the bed and spotted the open door.

He could run for it now while they were distracted.

Tensing powerfully, Yami dashed out from under the bed and went straight out the door, managing to race down the hallway and enter the first empty room he could find.

"It's probably hungry," Isono said shakily, barely recalling a ball of fur curled up beside Kaiba's arm last night when he had come in to shut the windows. "I'll go get it some milk. Keep it away from Miyu in the meantime. She's resting in Mokuba's room."

"That dog doesn't mind cats," Kaiba said stiffly, bending down to check on the cat, horrified to find that it had disappeared. "Shit!" He twisted his head around frantically, noticing Isono had left the door half-open.  
Fuck. It was now loose in the house.

"Oh…dear," Isono breathed, and he marched out the door, his resentment for the spiky-haired stranger rising. He hadn't recalled seeing the man bring in a cat, so where had it come from?

Yami sat stiffly on the ground, staring up at the closed window, eyeing the sleeping child in the bed beside it with extreme dread.  
This was…the worst! What's more, he had forgotten this human owned a dog, which was sleeping peacefully at the foot of the bed with its ears flicking back and forth slowly as it snored.

He could hear the rumble of frantic footsteps rushing throughout the house, clearly searching for him, and Yami cursed angrily. He would just have to risk transforming back to unlatch the window with his hands, then get to the roof for his clothes….

The dog woke up quickly as the sounds of footsteps passed by the door again, and Kaiba could be heard talking to the housemaids, "There's a cat…its spotted, looks like a leopard, and it's medium-sized. Leave bowls of milk near boxes so we can trap it and check it for fleas…"

_I don't have fleas_, Yami thought indignantly, freezing permanently in his spot when the dog got up slowly on all fours and bared its teeth, growling at him.

Shit.  
He wasn't equipped to deal with a hostile dog.  
He wasn't at his full strength anymore.

The soft growling woke the boy, and a tiny foot stuck out over the edge of the mattress to give the animal a nudge.

"Shut up…Miyu, too early…" Mokuba groaned, pressing the pillow over his head and feeling the dog back up into his heel, still growling. "What? Do you want to potty? What do you want? SETO! MIYU NEEDS TO PEE!"

_Crap, crap, crap!_ Yami's mind raced frantically for a solution as the dog began barking at him with all its short white hair standing on end. It bayed angrily as if to say,_' get out! get away!'_

Mokuba sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes sleepily, seeing a beautiful spotted cat sitting huddled against the wall underneath the window ledge, staring fearfully at him with large, amethyst eyes that were lined with dark markings.

Wow, a pretty stray cat had somehow gotten in and was about to be attacked by Miyu.

He tumbled out of bed and dashed forward to scoop the cat up, feeling it tremble happily with relief in his arms.

"I got you kitty, the big scary dog won't eat you," Mokuba said soothingly, giving the cat a slow pet on its head, marveling at how soft it was. "Pretty kitty…."

Kaiba burst breathlessly into Mokuba's room, followed quickly by Isono, and both men stood in the doorway, just in time to see the dog urinate on the floor beside Mokuba's desk chair while Mokuba stood by the window, petting the spotted cat in his arms.

"Can we keep him, Seto?" Mokuba asked innocently, wrinkling his nose at the dog. "Ew…she peed. What happened to all the potty training? This is the first time she's done that all year!"

Yami gazed curiously at Kaiba who looked handsomely disheveled, and at the manservant, who looked quite shaken due to the eventful morning he was having.

"Isono, take the dog outside, call a maid to clean it up, and call a vet," Kaiba managed through gritted teeth, and he strode towards Mokuba, patting his brother gratefully on the head. "Good catch, kid. Give me the cat. It's not ours. We need to make sure it doesn't have any diseases before we keep it, okay?"

"But I found her first, so_ I_ get to keep her, right?" Mokuba cried, backing away and gripping Yami so tightly, he was having difficulty breathing. Just his luck. Children had always liked him.

"Maybe. We'll have to see," Kaiba replied impatiently, wrestling the cat out of Mokuba's grip and feeling his brother stubbornly resist. "She belongs to a friend. We're babysitting her for a few days, okay?"

"I wanna give her a name!" Mokuba whined, and Kaiba sighed, giving his brother a tight hug before looking deeply into his big round eyes.

"Yes, think of names. In the meantime, she'll stay in my room. We need to keep her away from Miyu."

_I'm male,_ Yami thought indignantly.

Mokuba scrunched up his face and handed the cat over slowly, his ears reddening. "Fine."

Yami blinked in surprise when Kaiba lifted him out of Mokuba's arms and high in the air. A hand grabbed one of his hind legs, spreading him intrusively to look at his crotch.  
He let out a yelp and kicked out angrily.  
What the hell kind of indecency was the human trying to commit?

"It's a boy," Kaiba declared loftily, wrestling the cat still in his arms, barely avoiding a sharp swipe from the cat's other hind paw.

"Whatever," Mokuba shrugged carelessly and climbed slowly back into bed. "It's too early. Let me sleep until 7. Get out of my room."

Kaiba managed a small smile at his brother before he hurried out with the cat tucked under his arm.

Yami didn't struggle and let himself be carried, his frustration rising higher and higher when he realized Kaiba would be keeping a close eye on him. He was deposited gently on the floor in front of a steaming bowl of milk, and he gazed furiously up at Kaiba, wishing it was a bowl of warm blood instead.

"What?" Kaiba said testily, his impatience rising as the cat glared at him with angular violet eyes that were lined intentionally with black fur. "You don't like whole milk? Come on…what the fuck. What do cats eat?"

Yami sat down indignantly and felt cold hands petting him, scratching behind his ears while his stomach curled with hunger. Anything with meat would be nice…something raw….

Kaiba picked the cat up gently and strode through the hall, his mind filled with thoughts of the spiky-haired man, wondering what his reasons were for leaving this cat here. It looked like a rare breed, but it seemed to be well-trained.

How fucking strange.

Yami stayed still and let Kaiba carry him off again while he licked his paw aimlessly.

This was how he had been surviving these past few decades.

Usually, a child would pick him up at a park and beg the parents to give him a home. He had lived comfortably housed with several families over time, making sure to run away every 15 years so as not to arouse suspicion of being an "immortal cat".  
Sometimes, he would transform back into his human form and feed on the child, who would usually offer themselves up willingly, thinking that they had a magical cat, which was…not untrue, but the truth was definitely more sinister.

Food didn't taste like anything when he assumed a human form, so an animal form was preferable when eating.

Kaiba set the cat down by his feet and yanked open the refrigerator, staring blankly inside it and wondering what the cat would want to eat.

Yami circled Kaiba's legs and his mouth watered pitifully when he saw stacks of frozen fish several shelves above him, and he stood up on his hind legs, now wishing he had enough strength to talk.

Kaiba glanced at the fish and back down at the cat.  
He grabbed the fish and held it up over the cat's head, watching it leap and dance upwards excitedly.

"We can communicate," Kaiba sniffed arrogantly to himself, slamming the door shut and moving to the stove, almost tripping over the cat as he took a step forward. "Get…away! Go wait over there!"

Growling, Kaiba grabbed an empty bowl and set it down on the ground, watching the cat slink towards it and sit obediently in front of it, swishing his tail slowly.

It seemed this cat was better trained than his dog.

Yami watched excitedly as Kaiba thawed the fish and began to sear it in the frying pan. The delicious aroma of cooked meat filled the air and Yami felt faint.  
How long had it been since he had been fed a real meal? He had left a family recently because the infant whom he had watched grow up had graduated high school, which meant he had overstayed his 15-year welcome.

A tiny cardboard box given to him by a passing salesman had been his temporary home, and that man came to feed him every three days, usually bringing canned tuna from a convenience store.

If Kaiba would willingly be his next host family, he would gladly consider staying…if it weren't for the dog.

A steaming slab of salmon slid into the bowl, and Yami thanked Kaiba silently in his head before he dipped his head down to eat enthusiastically.

Kaiba sighed and sat back on his heels, shaking his head. He stuck the pan in the sink and leaned over it unsteadily as his head rushed strangely. Spots dotted his vision. His ears began to ring. Was he…sick?

The drug was taking a while to wear off, or he was ill. Either way, he wasn't feeling well enough to do anything other than think about the spiky-haired guy who had ditched him with the pretty spotted cat.

Yami lifted his head curiously, watching Kaiba leave the kitchen, then he stuffed the rest of the food into his mouth and ran after him.

He padded softly into the master bedroom and saw Kaiba sit down at his desk, flipping his laptop open and beginning to type resolutely.

Kaiba grit his teeth when he felt the cat rubbing up on his legs, so he backed his chair up slightly to glance down at the ground between his legs.

The cat sat down obediently and blinked up at him with large, angular amethyst eyes.

His stomach did an odd somersault when it laid down at his feet and waved its tail lazily at him, yawning so widely, he could see all the rows of sharp teeth.

C-Cute?

"Hey, where's your owner?" Kaiba asked aggressively, wondering if the cat would somehow talk back to him. It behaved eerily human enough, so…maybe it would.

Yami tucked his chin over the top of Kaiba's foot and purred guiltily. _Right here._

"I'm going to check the camera feeds," Kaiba growled to himself, and Yami froze anxiously, listening to the tapping above his head. Oh no…there were cameras in this house?

Holding his breath, Kaiba drew up the feeds from last night and played them quickly, seeing the limo door open, and after a moment, he saw himself getting out, stumbling awkwardly with an arm hovering in the air while the other hung limply at his side.

The hairs on the back of his neck slowly stood at attention as Kaiba continued to watch. He entered the house and limped up the stairs, occasionally swaying to the side, but something kept him upright.

W-Was he going insane or did it seem like someone invisible was at his side, steadying him on his feet?

Or…he was just acting strange due to the drug.  
Why else would his arm be hanging up in mid-air like that? Perhaps he really did need to call a doctor. If there were some lingering muscle paralysis drugs in his system, it might be life-threatening.

"I'm never going back to that bar again," Kaiba growled, palming his face in frustration as the pretty man's face swam to the front of his mind again. "Fuck…I didn't even get his name!"

He slammed his fist down angrily on the desk, causing the cat to jump in fear and meowl at him.

"Oh, shut up," Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose and took steady breaths, willing himself to keep it together. He had found the guy but had foolishly let him slip away again. He couldn't bear another two months of sleepless nights, thinking about what could've been if he hadn't fucked up.

The only thing he could do now was hope that the pretty spiky-haired man would come back and pick up his damn cat.

Yami pawed gently at Kaiba's leg and gazed sympathetically up at him, feeling another twinge of guilt. It seemed…this human really cared about him.

Kaiba picked the cat up and set it in his lap. "Now stay still." He could've sworn the cat was giving him the feline version of puppy eyes.

Yami wiggled upwards and placed his paws on the edge of the desk, eyeing the keyboard. Well, if Kaiba wanted to know his name that badly, he could tell him by typing it down. Maybe, he could also ask Kaiba to open the window too, so he could get to his clothes on the roof.

He couldn't transform into another animal because he had no strength.

Leaping up onto the desk, Yami stepped on the keyboard, desperately trying to find an empty notepad document to write on, not caring that he was messing up all the open tabs on Kaiba's screen.

"Hey!" Kaiba cried, grabbing the cat and pushing him away from the laptop's keys. "Stop that! Oh my fucking…god…get off!"

Yami batted Kaiba's hands away with outstretched claws, hissing angrily in response. His hind foot stepped on a key, and a blank document popped up. Excited, Yami spun around to look for the letter 'Y' on the keypad, but before he could, he was picked up so swiftly, his stomach churned, and he found himself on the floor.

He stood up on his hind legs, glaring furiously at Kaiba.

"Get off my desk. I need a cage for you, dammit," Kaiba breathed, resisting the urge to shout at the cat. "Stay off…the desk. Got it? Fuck."

_Cage?_ Yami bristled indignantly, wishing he had fingers so he could give Kaiba the middle one. 

Kaiba stared at the cat, and it stared back at him stubbornly. There was a long silence while they competed silently, neither of them blinking.

Kaiba's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he relented, slipping it out and pressing it to his ear.

"Kaiba."

Yami listened intently, wondering if he was strong enough to hear what was being said on the other end, but all he could hear was a soft warbling. He clearly needed to feed again in order to regain more energy.

"Goddammit," Kaiba breathed, and he hung up the phone. He strode over to his desk and slipped his computer into his briefcase, feeling the cat's eyes follow his every move.

Yami sat down on the bed and flicked his tail curiously. What was the phone call about?

"Stay there, don't fucking do anything," Kaiba said stiffly, pointing an accusing finger at the cat. "Don't pee on my floors. Don't even fucking think about it."

_He's leaving!_ Yami realized, and he gazed steadily into Kaiba's eyes, chancing a slight nod.

The phone buzzed again, and Kaiba answered it quickly. "Speak."

"Mr. Kaiba, we can fit you in today," a smooth voice said quickly. "A surgery date has been moved, so if you'd like to bring your cat in today by 8AM, we can give it a basic exam."

"Thank fuck," Kaiba cursed. He hung up on the receptionist and glared at the cat. "Come on, you. We're going somewhere fun."

_Fun?_ Yami perked his ears up, and he padded softly across the bed, his heart leaping with excitement.

He found himself picked up by the scruff of his neck, and his ears burned with fury and humiliation. Squirming and kicking, Yami briefly considered returning to his human form just to give Kaiba a fright, but to his relief, Kaiba wrestled him into his arms and hissed at him to be quiet.

"Master Kaiba? Shall I accompany you?" Isono asked warmly, seeing the master storm past him and grab a set of car keys off a hook. "I can drive. Where will you put the cat?"

Kaiba hesitated for a moment before he nodded and tossed Isono the keys.

Thoroughly confused, Yami glanced between the manservant and Kaiba, whose arms had tightened around his body. He had a bad feeling about this….

He was carried through a hallway and past another door where several cars were parked, and before Yami could take a proper look, he was sitting in Kaiba's lap in the front seat while they backed out of the garage.

Glancing around in confusion, he felt Kaiba shifting behind him as a seatbelt was buckled, and cold hands encircled his body once more.

"Stay still…." Kaiba said, giving the cat several rough pets on its head. He was sure the cat was in good health, but he wasn't about to house a stray cat with his dog. Also, he wasn't about to return the cat to the spiky-haired man in worse condition.

"I'm not a pet hotel," he said, addressing Isono. "Why would he leave this cat with me and then take off without saying anything?"

"I'm more concerned with where he went and how he managed to get past the gate without anyone opening it," Isono answered quietly, glancing nervously at the cat before he focused his eyes on the road again. "Is he a close friend of yours, Master Kaiba?"

"Hell no," Kaiba scoffed, feeling the cat snuggle into his forearm. "You and I both know I don't have any friends."

Yami blinked and didn't move, his chest tightening strangely at all the new information he was learning.

"Then, please be careful when this individual shows up again," Isono said darkly, stopping at a red light. "Something about him is strange. I can't put my finger on it."

"It's the way he looks," Kaia muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up at the memory of the man's pale lips touching his neck. "He might be a foreigner."

Isono remained silent after noticing Kaiba's embarrassed reaction, and he gripped the wheel tighter. Perhaps this was the young master's way of making friends. Either way, it was strange.

The car pulled into a small parking lot, and Yami's eyes widened when he recognized the building, and he tensed, ready to bolt. It didn't matter if his clothes were on the roof of the mansion.  
He just needed to get away now.  
The vet was a bad place to be.  
A tracking device could be implanted into his skin. His blood would be drawn for tests, and everyone would soon realize that he had no blood….

"Oh, no you fucking don't," Kaiba growled, slipping off his jacket and forcefully bundling the cat up in it when he sensed the cat knew what was about to happen. "Isono, get the door."

Yami fought against the folds of the jacket with ferocious energy, hating everything. Why did this human care so much, enough to take him to a vet? How fucking annoying!

Yami kicked out again, and he felt strong arms come down around him in the darkness to hold him still. He was being carried. A door opened and a bell jingled.  
Breathing heavily, he listened as a woman's voice floated through the air.

"Welcome, Mr. Kaiba. Right this way…"

_Damn it!_ Yami cursed, kicking out furiously again and letting out a frantic yell. He heard his own yowl muffled in the fabric of the jacket, and the woman giggled sympathetically.

"You should get him a carrier, Mr. Kaiba."

"It's a stray," Yami heard Kaiba answer, and his blood turned into ice.

_No, NO! I am not a stray!_ Yami thought frantically, crying out again and giving the jacket a futile kick. The end was near. They were going to draw his blood and stick cotton swabs into his rectum.

"The doctor will be right in…"

Yami struggled viciously and gave one final kick. A bright light flooded his senses and he held still as Kaiba swept him up in his arms and gave him a firm shake.

"Stop struggling! This is for your own good you, piece of—"

"Master Kaiba, please," Isono got to his feet hastily and lifted the cat out of Kaiba's arms, feeling it go alarmingly limp. "You're frightening it."

"I don't…care," Kaiba enunciated, feeling exhaustion settle heavily on his shoulders and he sank into one of the nearby chairs. Why was any of this happening? He had just wanted a goddamn boyfriend, but instead, the beautiful man had vanished without staying the night and had sicced a stray cat on him.

The door opened softly, and the doctor stepped in, looking rushed.

"Good morning," she said curtly, bowing hastily and pulling up a chair by the long metal table. "Let's see what we have here. A stray?"

"Yeah," Kaiba growled, watching Isono gently set the cat down on the table, and it mewed loudly again, glaring reproachfully at him with those angular amethyst eyes.

_I hate you all!_ Yami hissed, baring his teeth at everyone in the room, wondering if he should urinate on the doctor's white sleeve.

"Hostile…definitely a stray," the doctor said amicably, looping the stethoscope off from around her neck and eyeing Yami carefully. "Can I touch you with this, Mr. Kitty?"

Yami resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he sat down obediently and waved his tail softly at the doctor, determined to show that he was not a stray.

"No, he's just temperamental," Kaiba said tiredly, rubbing his temples where a light headache was throbbing. "It's very well-trained."

"Oh, he can do tricks?" the doctor asked, intrigued, and Yami leaned his head away as her hands came for his face, and the cold metal stethoscope began roaming down his chest. "Strange…I can't seem to find a heartbeat."

_Because I'm dead!_ Yami stiffened and gently laid down on his side, splaying out his arms and legs, deciding that playing dead would get the message across.

"Oh…you're cute," she cooed, scratching him behind the ears. "A very rare breed. This cat is definitely not a stray, Mr. Kaiba. I believe this is an Egyptian Mau with a bronze coat. You look very much like a cheetah, don't you, Mr. Kitty? _Don't you?_"

Yami's eyelid twitched.  
Yes, finally.  
It was clear he wasn't a stray.  
Was it over yet? Could he leave now?

A light shone intrusively into his eyes and he swatted her hand away angrily.

"No, no, kitty, hold still," she said gently, swishing the light left and right, and Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek, his patience running thin.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently, tapping his foot against the floor, and Isono shot him a look that said, 'calm down'.

"Interesting eye color," she mused, reaching for the laptop sitting to her left. "I've never seen it before. It might be a mutation. And the forehead markings here, we call this 'The Mark of the Scarab Beetle'. If this is a stray, we will take photos and upload it to our 'lost pet' section—"

"No need," Kaiba interrupted, his foot tapping the floor faster and faster. "A friend left him with me. I just need to know that it's not sick or contagious. I have a dog."

"These cats are loyal and friendly. They can get along well with dogs and children alike," the doctor said warmly with a smile, her fingers digging through Yami's fur as she spoke, and Yami squirmed uncomfortably, feeling her nails raking over his skin.

"The skin is not dry. I don't see flakes or mites…and if he's not scratching himself strangely, I daresay he's a clean cat, Mr. Kaiba," she said, picking up another tool from the table.

Yami begrudgingly let her check his ears, squeeze his stomach, pry open his mouth for a look, listen for his heartbeat again, and inspect his paws before picking him up to run a swab around his genitals.

His stomach curled with fury and shame. God…damn…it.

"Looks like a well-cared-for house cat," she said with a firm smile, standing to wash her hands at the sink behind her. "But he is a little underweight, so make sure he's eating. If he's not eating, bring him back."

Kaiba remained silent and nodded stiffly. That spiky-haired foreigner was the fucking worst!

"Good," Isono answered for him , looking visibly relieved. "Thank you, doctor."

"My pleasure," she said, reddening and bowing hastily.

She left in a rush, and Kaiba picked the cat off the table, feeling slightly less agitated. Maybe the spiky-haired man was on vacation, and he had no one who could properly care for his rare cat, so when he saw a rich man, he jumped at the opportunity to leave the cat at the mansion.

Isono held the door open for Kaiba, seeing the master blink and stare off into space.

"Master Kaiba?"

"He's using me!" Kaiba said angrily, his heart pounding painfully in his chest at the horrible realization. "He saw me and thought, '_I'll leave my fancy cat with him for the weekend and never come back!'_"

"I doubt that, Master Kaiba," Isono said quietly, letting Kaiba brush past him, and the cat stared sadly at him from underneath Kaiba's arm. "The man will come back for his cat. They will miss each other. It looks sad."

Yami lowered his head, and his chest tightened uncomfortably again. That was not the message he had hoped Kaiba would take away from this

He twisted around to look into Kaiba's face, but he was being ignored.

Kaiba threw himself moodily into the car and set the cat down by his feet, his stomach curling with depression.

Yami leapt up into Kaiba's lap and sat down on top of his legs, placing his paws on the human's chest and giving him the biggest cat smile he could manage, showing all his teeth.

"Gross," Kaiba said plainly, and Yami snapped his mouth shut, his body heating up with anger.

_I'll show my you face, just you wait. _Yami raged, feeling the car lurch forward. Strong hands circled his body warmly to steady him, and he suppressed a grateful shiver.  
All he had to do was open a damn window and get back up to the roof.  
It didn't sound too hard, and it wasn't supposed to be hard, but that was currently his biggest challenge.

Hopefully, when the house was empty, he could transform back and grab his clothes. In the meantime, he could enjoy the comforting hand resting atop his head.

Sighing happily, Yami curled up in Kaiba's lap and drifted off lightly, enjoying the warm sunshine coming in through the car's windshield.

Kaiba felt the cat relax slowly against his body, and he ran his hand through the wonderful spotted coat, marveling at the softness.  
This was fine. The cat was well-trained and clean.  
The spiky-haired man was just strange.  
This cat meant that he was coming back, so it was only a matter of time until they met again.

His mood brightened considerably with that thought, and Kaiba settled back against the car's seat, enjoying the warm purring coming from the furball in his lap.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Yami is "trapped" in cat form until the humans leave him alone.

Kaiba misses the mysterious spiky-haired guy he had been blindly kissing.

Mokuba wants to keep the new pet. Isono is a good manservant, being suspicious and all.

Edited by: taedae

thank you for the lovely comments you guys! :D lmk what you thought of this chapter! Next chapter updating Oct 9th around 11PM PST! for more chapter updates, please consider friending me on discord! ugli#7509

hugs!


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiba got out of the car and carried the cat back into the house, instructing Isono to dig out Miyu's old dog beds. They had several small beds left over from her days as a puppy, and Kaiba figured that those would do until he knew how long the cat would be staying with them.

Yami was touched when he heard Kaiba making accommodations for him, and he smiled again.

"Why does it keep baring its teeth at me?" Kaiba asked loudly to no one in particular. "Is it sick? Why do cats do this?"

Furious, Yami closed his mouth.  
Wasn't it obvious he was smiling? Even children could understand when he was smiling.

"Seto! Give her to me!" Mokuba raced down the stairs and held his arms open excitedly. "Did you guys just go to the vet?"

"Yeah, it's clean," Kaiba growled, handing the cat to Mokuba, eager to be rid of it. "And it's a boy."

"It looks like a girl," Mokuba said fondly, petting the cat's head gently. "He looks like he's wearing eyeliner."

Yami blinked and smiled at Mokuba, baring all his teeth again, and the child laughed, delighted.

"Seto! He smiled at me!"

"Cool," Kaiba answered noncommittally, already at the top of the stairs, and he slammed the door to his room with a bang.  
He needed to get some work done, dammit. Between hunting for the spiky-haired stranger, being drugged at the bar, and then caring for said stranger's cat, work was not getting done.

"You and me are gonna play today," Mokuba said, and Yami felt his stomach churn with hunger.

_Should I bite him even though the adult will willingly offer himself?_ Yami thought guiltily, unsure what to do. He was being carried swiftly back up the stairs, and the child chatted happily to him as if he was a human.

"This is Isono's room, this is the library, this is the entertainment room, this is my study room," Mokuba rattled off, pointing at each door as he passed them in the long hallway, showing the cat around. "This is Miyu's room, but she sleeps either with me or Seto, and this is the room that I sleep in."

Yami appreciated this tour, and he filed this information away safely. It would come in useful later.

"Miyu is gonna sleep in her room downstairs, so she won't bother you up here," Mokuba continued, throwing open the curtains and opening the window to let air in. "Which means you can sleep in my room!"

Yami's eyes watered gratefully as he gazed upwards into the clear blue sky outside the window, thankful that it had been opened. Fucking…finally!

Isono strode into the room and set a couple of large puffy cushions down on the floor, straightening up to close the window immediately.

Yami blinked, feeling a rush of frustration. What…the…?

"Young Master, the windows must remain shut at all times," the manservant said robotically. His eyes were strangely glassy, and Yami realized with a jolt that he never broke the hypnosis command, which meant…anytime anyone opened a window, it would be shut immediately if Isono discovered it was open.

"But the kitty likes it! I saw him looking at it," Mokuba whined, noticing the cat acted depressed the second the window was shut. "Plus, it's sunny outside! Let me open it, please?"

"No," Isono answered stiffly, and he walked out of the room, shutting the door swiftly behind himself.

"Weirdo," Mokuba muttered, bending down to fluff the dog bed. "Kitty, sleep here when you're tired."

Yami walked obligingly towards the bed and laid down on top of it to show that he was grateful, wrinkling his nose at the overpowering dog scent.

He much preferred sleeping on a human bed, but this was fine for now.

"Okay, I got lessons until 4PM today," Mokuba said happily. Rising to his feet, he opened the window for the cat again. "Wait here for me, okay? If you need to pee, just use the dog door. Can you do that?"

Yami chanced a slight nod, and the child grinned happily, giving him a pet on the head. "Good kitty, smart kitty. Bye!"

Mokuba snatched his book bag off from his chair and hurried out of the room, making sure to close his door behind him.

Yami waited two heartbeats before he hopped onto the window ledge and steadily made his way up to the roof, his mind racing with various excuses he could feed Kaiba regarding his mysterious disappearance.

Spotting his clothes in the crook of the chimney just where he'd left them, Yami hastily transformed back. The fur shrunk back into his skin and his spine popped as it expanded. The heat from the sun beat down heavily onto his neck and shoulders, draining his energy considerably, and Yami grit his teeth, fighting the drowsiness.  
Fuck the sun.  
His bones ached painfully as he slowly grew back to a normal size, slower than usual.  
His energy was already wearing out, and the sun wasn't helping.

Finally back in human form, he stood shakily and got dressed. Sliding down the side of the gutter, he landed on the sill in front of Mokuba's window, hissing in irritation when he realized Isono had shut it again.

Fuck everything. He would need to use the front door again and hope that Kaiba would invite him back inside.

Sliding quietly down the sides of the wall, Yami dropped lightly on his feet into the soft grass and hastily circled the property, striding up the large marble steps and giving the front doors a solid knock.

Holding his breath, Yami waited, his stomach curling painfully with hunger.

Inside, Kaiba was shopping for cat trees when he heard the knock, so he pulled up the front door cameras onto his screen, frowning when he saw no one there.

Another knock sounded at the door, and Kaiba saw the door open slowly.  
Isono stuck his head out, looking grim. His mouth moved, as if he was talking to someone, and Kaiba's confusion rose higher.

What the…hell?

His phone buzzed across his desk and Kaiba snatched it up, answering quickly.

"What?"

"Master Kaiba," Isono said, sounding relieved. "That man is back for his cat. Shall I let him in?"

"No. Stay there and wait for my permission," Kaiba hung up and dashed out of his room. Racing down the stairs, he skidded to a halt in the foyer, his heart skipping frantic beats in his chest when he saw a familiar spiky-haired person standing in his doorway.

How fucking strange. He didn't show up on the cameras for some reason.

"You…!" Kaiba growled, stalking towards Yami and towering over him in the doorway.

Yami smiled pleasantly, his knees weak with hunger. "H-Hello…may I come in?"

Seto Kaiba looked so delicious…and handsome.

"Where the hell did you go? And why did you stick your cat with me without a note?" Kaiba asked instantly, and Yami was prepared with an outlandish answer that wouldn't warrant any further questioning.

"He's my familiar."

"Your…_what?"_ Kaiba growled, feeling Isono shift uncomfortably behind him.

"My familiar," Yami lied steadily, gazing deeply into Kaiba's eyes, once again meeting a strong mental block. "You know, because…I'm a traveling magician. The cat does my bidding."

"Yeah, well, how rude of you to just leave him here," Kaiba said coldly, folding his arms across his chest, trying to hide his surprise when he realized…the man with spiky hair also had deep amethyst eyes—the same color as the cat's.

"I'm sorry," Yami bowed stiffly, hearing his own stomach growl quietly. "I'm sorry to have troubled you. I'll take him back now."

"No, you can't do that," Kaiba said irritably, his frustration with the man rising higher. "My little brother likes him. If you take him away today, he'll be upset. Let me keep it for a week."

Yami blinked steadily, realizing he was in trouble. How did he manage to fuck up this badly?! Kaiba wanted to keep the cat for a week?

"Three days," Yami countered, eyeing the small pinpricks on the side of Kaiba's neck which were already healing nicely, and his mouth watered painfully. "I can't be apart from him for too long."

_Because the cat is me_, Yami thought furiously, keeping the pleasant smile plastered on his face.

"Fine," Kaiba said, slipping out his phone and feeling a rush of triumph. "Give me your number. You can come back for your cat after you get a call."

Yami stood very still, trying to process what Kaiba meant. Come back…for the cat?

"You're _taking _my cat?!" Yami cried, his anger rising steadily. "You can't do that!"

"You left him here without warning, so I can do anything I want," Kaiba replied arrogantly, waving his phone casually in one hand. "Name and number. You'll get a call in three days."

"I don't have a phone," Yami said through gritted teeth, his blood boiling. "I'll come back in three days, same time."

"You don't have a phone?" Kaiba repeated incredulously, but to his dismay, the spiky-haired man was already walking away. "Wait…wait!"

He ran after Yami and reached out to grab him by the hand, but the smaller man whirled around furiously, glaring at him with a familiar set of angular, violet eyes.

"I can't believe you want to keep my cat!" Yami spat, once again trying to push his way into Kaiba's mind, furious when he encountered another mental block.  
What was this man made of? Steel? Silver?  
He had already tried pushing three times, and the man was unfazed. Based on previous experience, it seemed only his pheromones would work, but they needed to be nose-to-nose for that to be effective.

"Again, you shouldn't have left him here," Kaiba answered hopelessly, hating how their argument seemed to be circular. "Go on a date with me."

Quite taken aback, Yami said nothing and stared blankly at Kaiba. What?

"Let's have dinner or lunch," Kaiba added, his cheeks burning with embarrassment when he realized Isono was still standing at the door, witnessing all of this. "I took the day off today, so I have time. I have an in-house chef. Stay for lunch…or dinner. Come spend time with m—your cat."

Kaiba was determined. He wouldn't let this beautiful man slip through his fingers again. His skin was wonderfully pale, and his tri-colored hair seemed to glow in the afternoon sun.

Yami folded his arms across his chest and gave Kaiba a small smile.  
This human liked him for some reason, so this was a good sign.

"Fine, I will do that," Yami said slowly, seeing Kaiba visibly relax and turn back towards the house without another glance behind him.

Startled by the sudden change in behavior, Yami hurried after Kaiba's tall form, his chest tight with emotion. "Hey…!"

The CEO disappeared inside the house, and Isono stood awkwardly at the door, bowing stiffly.

"May I come in?" Yami asked coldly, curling his fists at his sides.

"Please do," the manservant said quietly, and Yami stepped into the house, growing warm all over. How nice. Even though Kaiba was frustrating to deal with, the humans here were very welcoming. This was new, and it was nice.

_Don't get used to it_, Yami berated himself, sparing a smile for the manservant before he walked up the grand staircase after Kaiba's shadow.

He passed Mokuba's room and found Kaiba's door easily. Stepping inside, he made a beeline for Kaiba sitting at his desk and placed his palms firmly down on the surface, "Mr. Kaiba, I'm sure we could find you another cat that you'd be happy with—"

"My name is Seto," Kaiba snapped, glancing up from his laptop and closing it with an angry click. "And you misunderstand me. We don't want to adopt a cat. We have a dog. I told Mokuba the cat would be staying, so just let me have it for the next few days."

Yami nodded, slowly beginning to understand.  
How…touching.  
Kaiba wanted to keep the cat, not for himself, but because he had made a promise to the child.

But that meant he had to stay inside the house as a cat…for the next three days.

Annoyed, Yami turned away and began pacing the room.  
This was fine. In fact, it might be a good thing considering he had planned to pop in to check on this family for the next month…but having seen the Kaiba property and realizing they lived far enough away from the city, it had put his worries at ease.  
The amount of security was also surprisingly high, which was also good.

"What is it? Stop doing that," Kaiba said irritably, eyeing the slender man's legs, his mind racing with questions. "Tell me your name, and the cat's name."

"Let the cat stay for a month," Yami countered, pausing mid-step to meet Kaiba's gaze, and his heart skipped a reluctant beat when he felt a strange aura emanating from the CEO.

If this family wanted to keep him in cat form, he would ensure himself a comfortable stay.

"What the fuck? I said a week at most, not a month," Kaiba replied, his confusion rising. "Where are you going? Don't you have a pet sitter for this kind of shit? I took your cat to a vet this morning. I should bill you."

"The cat thanks you for that adventure," Yami replied venomously, his blood boiling at the memory of the cotton swab running down his genitals. "I have to travel for work, and the cat will either stay with you for a month, or I'll take him with me. I'll pay you back for food and the medical visit."

Kaiba rose to his feet and grit his teeth in frustration. What the fuck kind of a negotiation was this? And why did everything feel so…strange? This spiky-haired man had come into the house and had not yet asked to _see_ his cat…

"Look, if you want to abandon your cat, you can't leave him with me," Kaiba said firmly, and he watched the smaller man sigh angrily, turning to glare at him once more.

"I'll come back for him," Yami resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This human was difficult. "The cat is well-trained, and he prefers to sleep in a bed…your bed. Don't make him sleep in the dog's bed with the child."

Kaiba frowned, wondering how the stranger had figured that out. Maybe he had seen the two dog beds inside Mokuba's room when he walked past and had put two and two together.

Either way, he wasn't about to take in an exotic cat for free.

"I'll pay you for your trouble," Yami continued, hating how he was giving in to the whims of this man who already had a lot of wealth. Perhaps it was better to leave and let fate deal with this man. If the other vampires wanted to drain him of his life, then he would look the other way.  
But…there was a child in the house.

"Look around. I don't need your money," Kaiba growled, stepping around his desk and advancing toward Yami with a dark look on his face. "Why are you being so fucking weird? Look, all I wanted was a date, but if you're leaving the cat with me for a month, the price goes up. You will owe me several dates."

"Several dates," Yami repeated weakly, his mind rushing happily when the human's fresh scent washed over him like an overpowering wave, causing his stomach to churn, reminding of his hunger.  
Why, yes, of course. Dating led to mealtimes.  
This was an amazing arrangement…if it could work.  
Perhaps he really had caught a human for himself at long last. Was this what it was?  
Did this mean he could ask for blood and Kaiba would give it to him freely?  
He could test the theory now because he was famished.

"Yeah, starting today," Kaiba said breathlessly, reaching forward to grab Yami by the shoulders, catching a whiff of the now-familiar perfumed scent this man wore. "You know my name, now, tell me yours."

"I'm Yami…nice to meet you," Yami said, flashing Kaiba a dazzling smile, and he jutted up on his tiptoes, draping his arms around Kaiba's slender shoulders, pulling their faces closer together. "I'm hungry…how about a kiss and a bite?"

Kaiba heart soared with triumph, and he nodded happily, diving down to bury his nose into a crop of spiky blond bangs, trailing his lips down a curved cheek before he passed a sharp jawline, and he bared his teeth playfully, biting down onto the soft shell of Yami's ear, earning a startled gasp.

He would enjoy this as much as he possibly could before Yami found out he had a rotten personality and left him behind….

"W-What are you doing?" Yami craned his head away, laughing deeply. "Why are you biting me?"

Kaiba blinked hazily, his mind clouded with arousal.  
The man had asked for a kiss and a bite.  
Shit. He had fucked up.  
He should've started with the kiss.

_Is he playing? Does he think it's funny?_ Yami wondered frantically, his stomach gnarling with a mixture of excitement and hunger.

He took a step back, hesitating. Kaiba managed a weak smile before he leaned down to try again for a kiss, pressing his lips tightly across Yami's slightly parted ones, allowing himself to relax into the wonderful sweetness of his breath.

Yami shut his eyes, briefly allowing himself to enjoy being kissed. This was so…nice!  
Receiving affection from a human who was skilled with his tongue was a good feeling indeed.

Opening his eyes slowly, he could feel Kaiba weakening the longer they stood there in his pheromone cloud.

Pulling away slowly, Yami led Kaiba to the bed and gently sat him down on the edge.

He stared guiltily at the two pin pricks healing on Kaiba's pale neck, and scanned Kaiba's body hungrily, wondering where else he could leave a mark. He knew if he kept sinking his teeth into the same spots, the skin would start to scar, and that was bad.

He was so hungry, it was hard to think clearly.  
All this human wanted to do was kiss because he felt a gentle tongue flick out and teasingly lick the shell of his ear again.  
How much kissing did he have to do for a bite?  
Honesty was the key.

"I'm starving," Yami whispered, sliding his hand up Kaiba's thigh, curling his fingertips down onto the stiff fabric of his dark pants. "Let me have a taste…please."

Dizzy and incredulous, Kaiba's chest tightened nervously as he wondered if they were moving too fast.  
A taste? Was this guy for real?

He rested his hand on his belt, uncertainty squeezing his heart painfully. If he didn't comply, it might rub off badly, and Yami might leave after discovering he was reluctant to move at his pace….

It was fine. Whatever.  
If the make out sessions were intense, then Yami "tasting" him would send him to heaven.

He hastily unclipped his belt and tossed it aside, inching his pants down with heavy arms. His boner ached strangely and there was already a wet patch on his underwear from his leaking tip.

Yami blinked rapidly, staring at a pair of wonderfully pale legs.  
He stuffed his confusion down when he realized Kaiba was letting him bite his thighs. How…nice?

His confusion returned in a furious rush when he saw the human's pale hand reach into his underwear and pull out a leaking erection that was enticingly pink at the tip.  
The musky scent caught him off guard, and Yami's stomach clenched strangely.

"I won't last long…" Kaiba breathed, his ears ringing and his vision fading dangerously when Yami gave him a strange look, leaning down to give his penis an awkward sniff.  
W-What the…?  
Was this his first time seeing a dick or what?

"You want…sex?" Yami asked shakily, slowly growing cold all over. "I'll do this for you, and you'll let me bite you."

"You can bite me whenever you want," Kaiba fumed through gritted teeth, itching to jerk off and misunderstanding Yami completely. "You have a weird way of asking."

Yami nodded slowly, sliding to the ground on his knees and staring intently at Kaiba's dick, wondering what possessed him to reach out and curiously press a finger into his slit. He rubbed it up and down, and the sticky fluid gathered beneath the pad of his index finger, so he pulled it back and rubbed the odd wetness between his other fingers, thoroughly fascinated.

"What are…you…doing?" Kaiba could barely manage a coherent sentence. Every time Yami touched him with the pad of his finger, his body shivered happily.  
His chest was bursting with frustration and arousal. Yami's eyes were narrowed in concentration as he pressed his finger into the head of Kaiba's dick again and gave it a slow rub.  
He couldn't stall anymore. He had to put it in his mouth.

Mustering up his courage, Yami leaned forward and took Kaiba into his mouth, sucking gently, feeling Kaiba shove his fingers through the back of his hair to hold his head steady while his length slid intrusively over the tops of his teeth, grazing dangerously past one of his fangs.

Kaiba hissed in pain and withdrew slightly. "Put your teeth away."

Yami's vision turned green, and he rolled his eyes furiously, losing his patience. The human said he could bite any time. Well, he felt like doing it now. He was hungry…not horny.

He jerked his head back, but to his horror, Kaiba held his head steadily in place with surprising strength.

"You suck at this," Kaiba said seriously, feeling a laugh climbing up his chest. "Why did you offer if you're so bad at this?"

Enraged by this comment, Yami clamped his lips down around Kaiba's arousal and gave it several furious flicks with his tongue while he reached a hand up to grab the base of Kaiba's dick, stroking it with renewed fervor, enjoying the way Kaiba's thighs tensed and shivered involuntarily every time he padded his tongue out to give the head a firm swirl.

Kaiba shut his eyes and threw his head back ecstatically. He shouldn't have insulted the man because now his lower body was on fire, and the fire was dancing, licking, curling, and spreading higher and higher up into his chest, causing his fingertips to tingle happily.

Yami eased off of Kaiba's cock, making sure to keep one hand firmly around the base, stroking him continuously while he buried his nose into one of Kaiba's soft thighs, inhaling the musky scent. His head rushed, and his vision turned red. A feast…at last! He opened his mouth and sank his fangs into the supple flesh, feeling a spurt of semen spray him across his ear, and he took a deep drink, his thirst quenching instantly.

He dared to take another light sip, and another…and another, his body bursting with ecstasy.

Kaiba's his mouth parted in a silent cry after receiving a delicious, stinging bite on his inner thigh that sent him careening over a pleasurable edge. His vision turned violently green and white while he enjoyed his rough orgasm, blissfully unaware of what Yami was doing.

The sweet scent of Kaiba's semen mixed wonderfully with the metallic scent of blood, and Yami licked his lips, satisfied. He spit on the wound and turned his head to slowly give Kaiba's dick another long, teasing suck, listening to the soft, excited panting above his head.

He felt positively electric, and was starting to see the appeal of trading sex for a full stomach.  
The other vampires did this often, nightly, for eons, and he had refused to participate…until now.

Being consistently fed brought sanity and peace of mind, something he deeply craved, and Yami vowed to himself in that moment that he wouldn't bite another child again.

Kaiba gently patted the spiky head that was still sitting between his legs, and he managed a smile, "You're not too bad. I enjoyed that."

"You're not too bad-tasting yourself," Yami retorted, dragging a hand underneath his chin, his tongue growing slightly numb due to the sudden onslaught of flavors from the mixture of Kaiba's semen and blood.  
It was all so strange, new, and exciting.  
His stomach was full, the human wasn't angry about being bitten, and the zest…oh, the sweetness mixed in with the wonderful acidity…that had been a heavenly meal!

Kaiba grinned and yanked his pants up over his legs, wincing at the throbbing bruise on his left leg, but he ignored it. He reached down to cup Yami's face between his hands, and he kissed him deeply, tasting himself on Yami's lips. His heart thumped excitedly as he was eager to return the favor.

Yami blinked, astonished, keeping his eyes wide open, staring at the dark lashes which were impossibly close to his face, and he melted reluctantly, allowing himself to be kissed once more. This human…_really _enjoyed kissing.

"Come up here," Kaiba coaxed, patting the mattress, fixating his gaze on Yami's slender collarbone peeking out from beneath the collar of his shirt. "I'll make you feel good."

Yami shook his head warmly, growing sleepy while his head spun pleasantly. "You don't have to—"

He was dragged onto the bed and pinned down by the shoulders.  
A handsome face hovered above him, and Yami struggled to keep his eyes open through the wonderful haze of blood drunkenness, feeling Kaiba swoop down and capture his lips sensually again, and a cold hand glided down the side of his body, resting on his waistband.

"It's really fine, you don't need to return the favor," Yami gasped, squirming nervously underneath Kaiba and his heart leapt into his throat as he tried to recall the last time he'd had an intimate connection with a human.  
It was…too long ago.  
And it had been with a woman.  
He had pushed it from his mind.

Kaiba sat heavily on Yami's slender legs, his chest curling with confusion and disappointment. This guy was fucking strange. To top it all off, he wasn't even hard.

Bright spots dotted his vision, and Kaiba shut his eyes, taking even breaths, willing himself to keep it together. Just because Yami wasn't hard didn't mean he wasn't interested…. didn't he say he was hungry?

"We can continue after you eat something," Kaiba said earnestly, swiftly pressing his lips down against Yami's slender nose bridge, filling his lungs with his sweet, exotic scent. "What is this cologne? I could eat _you_."

"I wouldn't taste very g—I mean, you wouldn't want that," Yami said weakly, growing hot all over the longer Kaiba's hands continued to roam steadily higher up his chest.  
The human was being confusing…again.

_He's the hungry one, but keeps insisting I'm hungry_, Yami thought wildly, propping himself up on his elbows to get a better look at Kaiba's face. He hadn't drunk too much of his blood, right?  
He didn't look unsteady.

"Come on," Kaiba reluctantly got up off Yami's legs and helped him off the bed, feeling oddly light all over. "Food is downstairs."

"_You're_ hungry, aren't you?" Yami asked shakily, his legs wobbling as the strength came rushing back to them in a sudden wave, and his world brightened wonderfully.

The color had finally returned to his vision after centuries of seeing in black and white.

"No, you are," Kaiba replied playfully, fixing his hair in the mirror beside the bed quickly before turning to offer Yami an outstretched hand with a dazzling smile. "Come downstairs and meet my little brother."

Yami glanced up to meet Kaiba's gaze, and shock rooted him to the spot when he found himself falling deeply into a pair of the clearest blue eyes he had ever seen.

A-Amazing. Beautiful.  
Everything about this man seemed to sparkle and glow.  
His smile gleamed, and his light hair was a pretty brown color.  
The fuzzy carpet beneath his feet was a creamy white, and the hardwood floors were a wonderful golden color.

"Hey, you don't look too good," Kaiba frowned, reaching down to grab Yami's hand and steadying him on his feet. "When was the last time you had something to eat?"

Yami held tightly onto Kaiba's arm, his heart soaring as he whispered, "…eons ago. This has been my first real meal."

"You're so fucking dramatic," Kaiba grinned handsomely, thinking he had been right about this man being a foreigner. "Your grammar needs some work, but you speak Japanese well enough."

Yami remained silent, keeping his questions to himself, letting Kaiba lead him out of the room and down the grand staircase.

Well, now that he'd managed to secure a consistent meal with this human named Seto Kaiba, how could he break the news to him about being the cat?

* * *

**Author's note:**

whee a kinda awkward and smexy scene. yami gets his "vision" back.  
Kaiba is kinda oblivious like...helloooo pinpricks, dizziness, biting, the random cat = yami is a vampire! When will he realize?

Please consider reading my other story I am currently updating: underwater chrysalis

Please also consider following me on all my socials for further updates on this story!

twitter: at username prettiugli

discord: ugli#7509

tumblr: uglifish dot tumblr dot com

AO3: prettiugli

Thank you!

Hugs,

Ugli

This chapter was edited by: taedae


	4. Chapter 4

Mokuba took a sip of his drink and almost choked when he saw Seto walk into the kitchen, hand-in-hand with a pretty guy with spiky hair and angular amethyst eyes.  
The cat's angular amethyst eyes.

He coughed, gasping for air, and Kaiba let go of Yami's hand and hurried over to pat his brother on the back.

"Slow down, or you'll drown yourself while drinking that," Kaiba growled, pushing the glass of juice away from his little brother's elbow.

Mokuba nodded, his eyes watering when the spiky-haired man looked right at him, his violet eyes burning holes through his skin. H-He looked exactly like Mr. Kitty!

The M-shaped markings on the cat's forehead even looked like the spiky bangs sprouting from his head.

"This is my friend," Kaiba said, enunciating carefully, hoping Mokuba wouldn't throw a tantrum after being introduced to another one of his dates. "His name is Yami, and the cat belongs to him. Yami, this is my brother, Mokuba. Get along."

"Okay, _Yami_," Mokuba reached for his drink and glared heatedly at the stranger. "What's your cat's name?"

"His name is…" Yami floundered, his mouth going dry when he realized he hadn't thought of one. This would be his name permanently, for as long as these humans were alive…and he had already exhausted a variety of names, ranging from Spots to Chairman Meow.  
Children in the past were not great at naming him, but they were creative, he had to give them that.

"Is his name also Yami?" Mokuba asked perceptively, noticing Kaiba's eyes narrow threateningly at him. "What, Seto? He doesn't know his own cat's name!"

Kaiba folded his arms across his chest and shot Yami a nervous glance. Yes, that was strange. Why was this man taking so long to answer a simple question?

"What do _you_ want to name him?" Yami asked heatedly, his blood pressure rising when he realized the boy had probably discovered he was indeed the cat. "He will respond to any name. He's well-trained."

"Yeah, 'cuz he's you," Mokuba shot back, the hair raising on his arms when he saw Yami's expression darken. "Tell us his name or I'm gonna call him Mr. Poo-Poo Head forever."

"Seriously, kid, come on, be nice to him," Kaiba drummed his fingers impatiently on the marble counter, hating how Mokuba was immediately hostile towards the stranger.  
He had a feeling maybe Mokuba was contributing to his singleness.

If his own personality didn't scare his dates away after a couple months, Mokuba's behavior usually did the trick.

"Mr. Poo-Poo Head, really?" Yami smiled, reminding himself to keep his fangs hidden. "Are you sure that's what you want to call him? He might not answer to that."

"No, dummy, I'm asking _you_ what his name is," Mokuba replied nastily, and Yami nodded, saying the first name that came to his mind. "Very well. His name is Atem."

He bit his lower lip nervously, wondering why he had given that information away so readily.

"Still a weird name, but I'll take it," Mokuba said, easing up instantly and flashing Yami a grin. "You look like your cat."

Kaiba felt himself sweat and was relieved when Yami took this comment in stride.

"All owners are reflected in our pets somehow, right?" Yami smiled again, willing himself to calm down. "He likes to eat grilled fish and he is litter trained."

"I know," Mokuba answered arrogantly. "He nodded at me when I told him to use the doggy door."

"Sure he did," Kaiba rolled his eyes and ruffled Mokuba's hair with more force than usual. "Stop talking, kid, you're starting to sound crazy."

Mokuba rolled his eyes and shoved a spoonful of rice in his mouth, keeping his gaze nailed on Yami's slender form. He wasn't crazy. This guy looked exactly like the cat.  
Now all he had to do was prove it to Seto, and Seto would believe him.

_Seto will believe me, I'll get a picture,_ Mokuba thought furiously, taking another sip and setting the glass down with a clink.

Yami heard this faint thought, and chills ran up his spine. With a full stomach came full strength, and along with that, came all his powers.  
He had inadvertently heard the child's thoughts.

Glancing at the older Kaiba, Yami saw him prepping a pot of coffee, so he jumped at the chance to befriend the child.

"Mokuba…" Yami said lightly, circling the counter and taking a seat beside him. "Can we be friends? My cat will be nice to you too if you're my friend."

Mokuba rolled his eyes and stared into Yami's face. "Sure, we can be friends…" his voice faltered uncharacteristically when Yami's eyes gave off a strange gleam, and he suddenly felt very sleepy.

"You're already very nice to the cat, I know," Yami continued gently, seeing the child's eyes darken significantly, and he panicked, wondering if he had pushed too hard. "I'm boring compared to the cat, so let's be friends."

"…Friends…" Mokuba nodded slowly, and Kaiba turned around, startled to see Mokuba gazing rapturously into Yami's face, with the spoon hanging loosely from his fingertips.

"Good," Yami leaned back, relieved. "I don't have many friends, so I'm glad you're one of mine."

"Whatever," Mokuba rolled his eyes again and resumed eating.

Kaiba wondered what he had just witnessed. It looked like Yami was charming his little brother with his good looks and a smile. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he fished it out, cursing angrily when he realized he was scheduled to be present in a meeting via phone call.

Yami watched this behavior with interest, noticing two maids entering the room from a door on the other side, wheeling a silver cart.

"Mr. Kaiba—" one of them began, but Kaiba interrupted them rudely before they had a chance to finish.

"Leave the food, I'll eat it later. Yami, feel free to eat without me," he said, already pressing the phone to his ear, answering it. "Kaiba."

Yami opened his mouth to ask a question, but to his dismay, the CEO strode swiftly out of the room. The two maids also disappeared quickly, leaving him alone with the child.

"I'm gonna feed the cat. Bye," Mokuba said, shoving his chair back and rushing out of the kitchen.

Yami sat very still, listening to the ringing silence. What a strange family.

Now that he was alone, he could safely stow his clothes away and turn back into a cat because the child was now undoubtedly looking for him.

He hopped off the stool and entered the garden through a large sliding glass door, pleased to discover his hearing had improved significantly too. The chatter and giggles from the maids on the third floor mingled nicely with the sound of Kaiba's voice on the phone from the fifth floor.

Somewhere, the dog barked loudly, and the sound of a gate latch clinking filled the air.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Yami's senses were nearly assaulted by all the fresh scents around him. The garden was in full bloom and the fragrance of cleaning detergent was heavy.

Footsteps were approaching from around the side of the house, and Yami could smell the dog.

Wrinkling his nose, he walked back up the steps, hearing the manservant cough politely behind him and ask, "may I help you?"

Yami turned around quickly with a smile, jumping at the chance to de-hypnotize the man.

"Yes," he smiled warmly, pushing gently into the man's mind while the dog growled at his heels. "I'll be leaving for a month, and the cat will be staying with you. Please open the windows when the cat asks. Also…may I borrow a drawer? For my spare clothes?"

It was a strange request, but Yami knew the man would comply under hypnosis.

Isono stared heavily at the spiky-haired man standing before him, his mind growing strangely foggy.

"Very well, I can do that," he answered seriously, feeling the dog tug at the leash and circle around his feet, cowering behind him. "I will let Mr. Kaiba know."

"You don't have to tell him," Yami said in a rush, feeling his ears burning at the thought of the handsome CEO randomly finding his clothes in the house. "Give me one of your spare drawers. I'll be no trouble."

"I'll clear one out for you now," Isono said robotically. He bent down to slowly unhook the leash from the dog's collar, and Yami felt himself sweat.

The dog yelped reproachfully and dashed away, disappearing behind the house.

"Don't mind her. She's been behaving strangely since the cat," Isono said, leading Yami into the house, still feeling oddly drowsy. Mr. Kaiba's antics with this stranger were tiring him out.

Yami followed Isono through the house and up the stairs, passing by Kaiba who was coming down the opposite way, fully dressed in a black suit with a dark blue tie.

Yami paused mid-step to stare, his heart skipping several beats as he appreciated the change.

Kaiba brushed past Yami, giving him a brief, heated glance before heading out the door. Mokuba came thundering down the stairs after him, his cheeks red while he gasped for breath.

"S-Seto…I can't find…the cat," the younger Kaiba bent over his knees, fully aware of Yami watching him from the top of the stairs.

"Not my problem," Kaiba bent down to give his brother a quick hug before walking out the door.

Yami clenched his jaw tightly, his cheeks flushed as he met Kaiba's gaze again, and he hurriedly followed Isono into his room, pleased to see that the manservant already had a bottom drawer open and empty for him.

Mokuba raced up the stairs and stood with his arms crossed in the doorway of Isono's room, frowning at Yami, who was bent over an empty drawer.

"Hey, you," he said rudely, addressing Yami. "Let's go find your cat."

"He'll show up whenever he wants," Yami answered vaguely, feeling himself sweat.

"He's hungry," Mokuba protested, grabbing Yami by the hand. He jerked back frantically when his fingertips received a slight shock from the sudden coldness of Yami's skin.

"Well, I need to go to work too," Yami said gently, sensing the child's fear and he quickly tried to excuse himself. "He'll turn up. Just call his name. He likes being outside."

"Where do you work?" Mokuba asked brattily, folding his arms across his chest with a suspicious glare. "How are you going to get there? Seto isn't gonna let you take any of our cars, you weirdo."

"I can fly," Yami replied absently, already halfway out the door. "See you in a month, Mokuba. I'm going out of the country. Please take good care of my cat."

Mokuba's mouth dropped open, and he stared dumbly at the empty space in the doorway where Yami had just been standing. Hastily snapping out of it, he raced after the spiky-haired man, pausing breathlessly at the top of the stairs, sweeping his gaze beneath him, wondering where he'd gone.

That had been unusually quick. Where did he go?  
That guy was definitely the cat!

Deciding to test his theory, Mokuba wandered down the hallway towards Seto's room, calling loudly, "Atem! Where are you? Breakfast time!"

_Fuck!_ Yami growled, dropping down on all fours and crawling underneath Seto's bed to complete his transformation. The child was also strong-willed like his brother and had broken through the hypnosis in under a minute.

Spotted hair was poking uncomfortably out from his thighs and arms, and his spine was half-curved. It would be very bad if the child came in and saw him like this.

His joints ached, and his fingernails burned as claws sprouted slowly from the tips. Hissing in pain, Yami paused and took several deep breaths. Full transformations were terrible, especially on a full stomach. Hunger distracted him from the pain, and right now, he didn't have that luxury because footsteps were coming closer and closer.

The door to Isono's room swung open, and Yami hastily backed into the corner, feeling his clothes fall off his body the faster he shrank. Just a bit more…just a bit more….

"Atem!" Mokuba called aimlessly, narrowing his eyes at the half-open door leading into Seto's walk-in closet. He walked towards it slowly and peered inside, seeing a movement behind him out of the corner of his eye.

_Gotcha!_ Mokuba thought triumphantly.

"Atem!" He called again, pretending not to notice the shadow under the bed, and Yami winced when his tail finally came sprouting out through his tailbone.

Damn, this child was smart.

Dizzy with a mixture of pain and anger, Yami shook himself all over and hastily pushed his clothes aside, trying to hide them against the bedpost.

"There you are!"

Yami froze, and tiny hands wrapped tightly around his waist, dragging him out from under the bed.

His pinky claw caught his undershirt, yanking the article out as Mokuba pulled him into a fierce hug, nearly choking the air out of his lungs.

"Atem! Oh…no," Mokuba said gleefully, yanking the black undershirt away from the cat's paw. It was still warm….

Were the rest of Yami's clothes underneath the bed? That was the proof he needed!

Yami frantically kneaded Mokuba's shirt with his claws, and to his dismay, he was flung aside carelessly. Furious, Yami managed to land nimbly on his feet, and he turned to give Mokuba an angry hiss. What was this child's problem?

"I know your secret," Mokuba said coldly, dropping to his knees and peering underneath Seto's bed. "Ah-ha!"

He triumphantly snatched up Yami's discarded clothes, holding them up to the cat with a cold smile.

"I have your clothes now, Yami," he sang evilly, noticing the cat's violet eyes widening slightly at the corners. "If you want them back, you're gonna have to change into a human, right in front of me while I film you."

Horrified, Yami blinked, his chest curling unpleasantly with fear. He was in trouble….

Deciding to play dumb, he sat down on his haunches and began preening himself, trying to stay as nonchalant as possible.  
He was now at war with Mokuba.  
His suspicions at the kitchen table had been correct.  
The child did suspect him of being the cat, and now he had been caught red-handed.

"Oh, okay, fine. Ignore me," Mokuba fumed, rising to his feet and dashing out of the room. "I'm going to hide these so you'll never find them! Walk around naked for all I care."

Yami swallowed thinly and tensed, bounding after Mokuba in a frenzied fury, nearly slipping on the shiny floors as the child raced ahead of him, disappearing down the stairs and along another long hallway.

He glanced around frantically, listening for movement, but there was too much information all around him. A vacuum was whining somewhere on the second floor. The manservant's voice was droning on the phone with someone, and several maids were gossiping in one of the bathrooms.

Mokuba's footsteps were drowned out by all the noise.

Sitting down in the middle of the hallway, Yami waited for Mokuba to come out of a room, any room. He had all the time in the world. He could wait here and explore the house in cat-form to find his clothes.

Mokuba slammed his palm against the digital reader and waited for the closet door to slide silently open before he threw himself into the elevator, making sure the cat wasn't behind him.

The doors slid shut, and he began traveling lower and lower, into Seto's lab. Yami would never find his clothes in here unless he could float through walls. Shapeshifters could only turn into animals…right?

Kneeling on the floor of the elevator, Mokuba hastily folded the clothes and stood when the doors opened again.

Running towards the refrigerator at the back of the room, he threw them into an empty freezer drawer and slammed it shut.  
There.  
No way in hell Yami would figure out that his clothes were in a secure lab, in a refrigerator.  
Seto would also never know.

Breathing a tight sigh of relief, Mokuba headed back into the elevator, determined to expose Yami for the magical being he was.

If he got a video of it and showed it to Seto, maybe Seto could figure out how it was done because there was no such thing as magic. Only science.

Outside in the hallway, Yami flicked his ears back and forth, hearing a high, electronic whine coming from somewhere beneath him, and he narrowed his eyes, wishing he could see through walls.

Footsteps approached him from behind, and he whirled around frantically, seeing the manservant towering over him with a stern look.

"What are you doing here?" the man asked, and Yami glared viciously back at him.

Mokuba came rushing out of Seto's study and scooped the cat up in his arms, looking very pleased with himself.

"Hi Isono," Mokuba said, stroking the top of the cat's head and feeling Yami turn his head, attempting to bite at his fingers. "Stop that, Yami, or I'll drop you."

Incensed, Yami bared his fangs and forced himself to relax into Mokuba's arms.  
Goddammit.  
This child was akin to demon spawn.  
Perhaps he would feed on this child after all, just to teach him a lesson.

"Ah, it was waiting for you," Isono said mildly, turning away when he heard the phone ringing again. "The man named the cat after himself? Very strange."

"Yep," Mokuba answered firmly, and Yami shook his head furiously, resisting the urge to scratch Mokuba's arm.

He was being carried back up the stairs and set down atop a desk.

"Okay, Shapeshifter," Mokuba said firmly, propping his face up in his hands, gazing deeply into the cat's angular amethyst eyes. "Why are you here? What do you want from Seto? Money? Is he cursed? Are you cursed? Can you talk?"

Yami sat down and began to lick himself again, determined to win this game.

"Fine, butthole," Mokuba growled, snatching up his book and a pencil pouch from his desk drawer. "You get to starve until you tell me the truth. Windows and doors are gonna stay closed."

Yami paused in his motions, watching irritably as the child got up to shut the window with a click and walk out the door without another look behind him.

Hopping off the desk, Yami tried to follow, but the door was slammed rudely in his face, almost catching a few of his whiskers in the process.

Hissing angrily, he pawed at the door, yowling loudly. Fuck this child! Why was this child so difficult when all the others were so complacent? What happened to the hypnosis command to be friends? Had it worn off that quickly or was he such a strong-willed child, his mind was difficult to penetrate?

Meowing loudly again, Yami sat back when he heard Isono's footsteps rush through the hallway, and the door opened slowly.

Seeing a gap between a pair of dark slacks, Yami zipped through the opening, his shoulders grazing the door's edge painfully, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to lose this war.  
This manservant was still somewhat under his control.

"Wh—Mokuba! Why did you lock the cat in your room with no food, water, or access to a bathroom?" Isono called over the sound of the doorbell ringing, and Yami ran to hide underneath an ornate couch.

Staying in this house with the child was becoming a horribly daunting idea. It was impossible to live peacefully if Mokuba was going to treat him badly until he got what he wanted.

"He can hold it!" Mokuba shouted back, racing to answer the front door.

Yami watched from his place under the couch as a shiny pair of pink shoes stepped inside, and he heard Mokuba speak. "Welcome in, Miss Ao."

"Good morning, Mokuba," the woman said warmly, and Yami took this chance to bolt across the floor, his haunches burning with effort as he dashed right out the front doors and into the bright morning sunlight.

"Oh! Goodness! A cat!"

Yami heard the woman cry out in surprise, but he ignored it, his gaze fixed on the patch of grass just beyond a set of black bars.

"Shit!" Mokuba cried, dropping his books and running after Yami across the white cement, seeing a spotted tail disappear past the black, spiked gates of the property.

"COME BACK HERE!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU BETTER COME BACK, YOU HEAR? I have your clothes! Are you gonna walk around the city naked?!"

"Young master!" Isono yelped, leaping over the steps after Mokuba, wondering what had gotten into the younger Kaiba. "What's wrong?"

"The cat ran out!" Mokuba fumed, pointing at the gate, his ears burning with fury. Yami had tricked Isono into letting him out. Dammit.

"Cats are not like dogs, young master. They like being on their own. Don't worry, he will come back," Isono said gently, leading Mokuba back into the house with a gentle tug on his arm, and Mokuba pouted furiously, dragging his heels across the pavement.

Yami breathed a tight sigh of relief and sat back against the stone wall, gazing up at the bright blue sky. What a handful and a half.  
Mokuba Kaiba was a worthy nemesis, one he hadn't had in a long time.

Eyeing the branches of a tree swaying in the wind above his head, Yami wondered if he could muster enough energy to change forms.

Tensing, he felt exhaustion weigh heavily on his shoulders. No. He had no energy left after escaping from Mokuba's clutches. He was only safe with the older Kaiba.

Determined to find the older Kaiba in the city, Yami set off down the thinly paved road at a mellow trot. If he failed to find the older Kaiba, then he wasn't returning to the mansion tonight.

Free meals aside, it wasn't worth living in fear, being terrorized by a small child.

* * *

Words were blurring across his screen, and a headache was coming on around his temples.  
Kaiba palmed his face tiredly and dared to rest his eyes for a moment.

Not a second later, his peace was shattered when his desk phone rang intrusively.

Growling, he snatched it up and answered it with his eyes still closed.

"What?"

"I have something of yours…" His secretary's voice sounded oddly distant on the phone. "Please come out here and get it…"

Yami blinked and nodded slowly, instructing the woman to hang up the phone.  
He had used the last of his strength hypnotizing her.

Hopping off her desk, he curled up in her lap, shaking with exhaustion.

He was dirty from his trek through the city and was weakened by the sun, but he had finally made it into the Kaiba Corporation building. After walking an exhausting three kilometers on his own paws, he had been picked up by a police officer who had fed him convenience store tuna and a small bottle of milk, and it was then that he spotted the silver tower with the KC logo over the policeman's shoulder.

He needed real nourishment, not food.

Good thing his meal was coming to pick him up right now.

Kaiba stormed out of his office and poked his head out the door, shocked to see Yami's cat curled up in his secretary's lap, taking a leisurely nap. What the…fuck?

He had left the cat at home. How did it get here?!  
Had Yami followed him to work and dropped it off here?

"Soft…" she said, stroking the cat's head rhythmically, and Kaiba swallowed thinly, striding forward to lift the cat out of her lap.

He tucked the cat under his arm and marched back into his office without another glance behind him, ignoring her questions.

Safely back inside his office, Kaiba leaned against the door and held the cat away at an arm's length, his fingertips itching from the grime in its fur.

"What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously, wrinkling his nose and noticed that the cat's pink paws were black with dirt.

It had…walked here! S-Seriously?!

_I'm hungry and tired!_ Yami thought furiously, now wishing he had saved a bit of his energy so he could communicate with Kaiba, but it was getting harder to breathe, and the room was spinning violently. He was really weak.

"You're filthy," Kaiba said shortly, setting the cat down on the floor by his feet. "I don't know how the fuck you got here, but don't bother me. I have shit to do."

The moment Yami's paws touched the ground, he collapsed weakly on the carpeted floor and meowed pitifully. The older Kaiba was cruel too! How had he managed to find the two most cruel humans in Japan? What happened to the "love" Kaiba supposedly had for him?

"Oh, shit," Kaiba stared dumbfoundedly at the cat lying on its side, watching it breathing shallowly, and he panicked. It was exhausted and looked like it was dying.

Fuck, fuck.

Gathering the limp cat up in his arms, he strode hastily into the bathroom and set it gently in the sink, gently running water across its dirty paws. He had no fucking idea how to take care of a damn cat, but he knew it wasn't supposed to be fucking dirty.

Weren't cats supposed to hate water? He was about to find out.

Yami pried his eyes open, enjoying the sensation of warm water running across his palms, and he leaned his head gratefully against Kaiba's pale forearm, appreciating the quick bath.

Kaiba continued to diligently run water through the cat's spotted fur, sifting his fingers through each tuft and watching the water turn slightly grey before disappearing down the drain.

Yami yawned contentedly and his stomach curled painfully with hunger. Kaiba's hands running up and down the side of his leg felt so good…could he take a bite now?

The pale hand traveled higher and began massaging the dirty patch of fur underneath his chest, and Yami's felt a rush of guilt. Before he could stop himself, he swiped at Kaiba's hand with his claws extended, trying to draw blood, but to his surprise, Kaiba dodged him smoothly and held him down tighter.

Panicking, Yami let out a small cry as his vision faded into green, and then grey.  
He was losing color in his world again.  
Having only been properly fed twice and using up all the energy both times to shift into a cat, he was extremely weak.

"Stop struggling," Kaiba growled, propping the cat back on its feet as he reached for a hand towel. "Stay still."

Yami wobbled dangerously, hating how his fur was heavy with water. A warm towel enveloped him completely, and he dared himself to relax into Kaiba's grip again.

"And he had the nerve to lie about not having a phone, just to avoid giving me his number," Kaiba hissed to himself, giving the cat another vigorous rub before tossing the soaked towel aside. "Dammit."

Yami eyed the pale wrist hovering inches from his nose, his stomach churning violently with hunger. Mustering up the last of his strength, he lunged forward and bit down into the soft flesh, earning a furious shout from Kaiba.

Sweetness rushed into his mouth and coated his tongue thickly. Yami hastily took a light sip, dizzy with euphoria as his head rushed with relief.

"Fuck!" Kaiba jerked his hand back and glared at the cat. "Fuck you. This is why I prefer dogs."

Yami gazed balefully at Kaiba, trying to apologize with a soft meow, but he was thoroughly ignored.

Kaiba snatched the cat up roughly and set it down on the floor while it was still sopping wet, not caring if it would faint. His hand was throbbing horribly, and a small stream of blood was trickling down his wrist.

Yami watched hungrily as a drop of blood landed on the floor beside Kaiba's shoe, and he licked it up frantically.

Kaiba glanced down and watched the cat with mild disinterest, running his wound under the warm water while searching for disinfectant in the cabinets above.

The cat was probably hungry. He had felt it's stomach growling when he was rubbing the dirt out of its fur.

Sighing irritably, Kaiba hastily wrapped his hand up with a piece of medical tape and marched out of the bathroom.

He stuck his head out of his office door, addressing his secretary, "Hey. Run out and get some cat food."

She turned to him with a blank smile and nodded. Kaiba watched her pick up her purse and walk robotically to the elevator, acting very strange.

Frowning, Kaiba ducked back inside and almost stepped on a spotted tail that was curled right behind his heel.

The cat meowed reproachfully at him, shaking water out of his fur, and Kaiba hissed at the cat with his teeth bared. "What do you want? Leave me alone."

Yami stared up at Kaiba and blinked, wishing the color would return in his vision so he could see the blue in his eyes.

Kaiba grit his teeth and gazed down at the cat, falling into the strange pair of deep amethyst eyes, and he relented. Bending down, he picked up the cat and grabbed the towel from the bathroom to hastily ruffle it dry. It meowed happily in his arms as he walked back to his desk, setting the cat into his lap and giving it a few rough pats on its head.

Yami grew warm all over and turned his head to give Kaiba's thumb a few soft licks, hoping the CEO would forgive him for the bite. He eyed the two red spots of blood on the piece of medical tape on the back of Kaiba's hand and tried to swallow his guilt.

He began to drift off lightly, thankful that his fur was clean, and the gnarling hunger had subsided just enough so it wasn't painful.

Above him, Kaiba hovered his hand over the keyboard, typing slowly with one hand while the other rested atop Yami's head, absentmindedly scratching him behind the ears.  
The warmth was comforting, and Kaiba found himself getting sleepy as well.

Leaning back in his chair, Kaiba dared to close his eyes for a moment, enjoying the soft purring filling the silent office.

The door to his office eased open softly, and his secretary stepped inside, carrying a bag full of canned fish and a couple bottles of milk.

She quietly set it down on the marble coffee table, taking in the unusual scene. Kaiba was fast asleep in his chair, with the cat curled up in his lap, it's tail swishing rhythmically beside his leg.

Giggling to herself, she tiptoed out and made sure to lock the door behind her.

The sound of the lock clicking startled Kaiba awake, and he glanced around nervously, noticing that his computer had fallen asleep and a bag of food had been left on the table.

Slowly rising to his feet, he felt the cat jump off his lap and follow him.

Yami gazed up at Kaiba, weak with hunger. Perhaps he could slip out and bite the pretty woman sitting at the front desk. She had been so nice earlier…which meant she might also be nice enough to feed him…

To his dismay, Kaiba pulled out a familiar stack of canned fish and held it out to him.

Turning his head away stubbornly, Yami swished his tail angrily and stamped his paw on the ground. He wasn't hungry for food.

"Are you throwing a tantrum?" Kaiba asked incredulously, giving the canned salmon a tentative sniff before setting it down on the ground. "I can't fucking believe this."

Yami watched Kaiba march back over to his desk and sit down. Dismayed, he followed and hopped up onto his lap, the top of his head grazing the bottom edge of the desk painfully. He let out a reproachful yelp, and Kaiba leaned back in his chair to stare at the cat, wondering why it was so clingy.

Deciding to ignore it further, he went back to his work.

Yami frowned to himself and settled down, tucking his head into the crook of Kaiba's hip and enjoying the sweet musk of his unique scent. This was…quite nice. He had spent so much time with children as a cat, he had forgotten the calmness of an adult.

The phone rang shrilly, and Yami flicked his ears irritably at the noise. If that was going to be happening all day, that would become extremely annoying.

"Mr. Kaiba, Johnson is on line two," his secretary said nervously. "Please be careful. I'm sure they're recording every word you say."

"Got it," Kaiba growled, preparing himself for the worst. The cat's warmth was seeping steadily into his lap, and it was oddly calming.

The line clicked off and switched, then a cocky voice on the other end laughed, "Mr. Kaiba! Long time no talk. I'm inviting you to the opening day of Virtual World. Mr. Pegasus also extends his regards. We hope you will bring little Mokuba too. Don't you two love video games?"

"Pass," Kaiba said tersely, resisting the urge to hang up. "No thanks."

"Oh, I think you'll want to come," Johnson said slyly. "We made a _generous_ donation in your name. The press is expecting you. We've also donated half of the island, turning it into a nature reserve…in your name. If you don't show up, that would look very bad indeed."

Kaiba gripped the phone harder, his fury rising. "Why the hell would you do that?"

Pegasus and his goons were not without motive.  
There had to be a reason for all this generosity.  
It felt like a set up.

Yami raised his head and listened intently, feeling Kaiba's legs tensing with anger. It was now very uncomfortable, because it felt like he was trying to sleep with two very long iron bars underneath his stomach.

"Because we want to extend the olive branch," Johnson said morosely, sounding very insincere. "We're tired of competing with you when we know we can't win, so come cut the ribbon with us. Our partnership could lead to great things! Otherwise, prepare for an onslaught of questions regarding why you are absent at a function you care so much about."

"Keep my name out of it," Kaiba hissed, feeling a rush of nausea so strong, his vision turned red. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers."

He slammed the phone down and picked it up again, tapping in a number from memory.

Yami winced at all the loud slamming, and he hopped off of Kaiba's lap onto the floor. Maybe there was somewhere he could sleep…undisturbed.

Kaiba felt the warmth leave his lap and he shivered, listening to the rings in his ear.

"Come back here," Kaiba said quietly, swiveling his chair around and patting his lap.

Yami blinked incredulously at Kaiba and hesitated for a moment before he obliged, walking back over to hop up onto his lap.

Digging his claws into the fabric of Kaiba's dark pants, he snuggled down, half-listening to the voices warbling through the phone above him.

_"Mr. Kaiba, how may I—"_

"One of the Big 5, Johnson, says he made a donation in my name," Kaiba interrupted, absently stroking the cat with his knuckles, forcing himself to breathe slowly. "Sue them. Make it fucking stop. I won't have them slapping my name on something with the backing of millions of dollars without my approval."

There was a long silence on the other end before his lawyer spoke up.

"Is it your money they're putting forth?"

"No," Kaiba seethed. "It's their money, their island, their event. They're just doing it for the public's attention, and to piss me off. Send them a cease and desist. Take my name off the damn island."

Another bout of silence.

"…I don't see a case here, Mr. Kaiba," his lawyer said slowly. "I'll look further into it, but it seems this is an effort to help boost your public image with philanthropy. There is no defamation here. I can ask them to remove your name from the donations, but anyone can make a donation in someone's name, which gives me no basis—"

Kaiba growled angrily and slammed the phone back into its cradle. Fucking useless.

Yami meowed irritably and gazed up at Kaiba, seeing the CEO press his palms into his eyes, looking exhausted.

_Rich people problems,_ Yami thought blithely, rolling over onto his side and pawing at one of Kaiba's buttons.

A pale hand came down and smothered his face playfully, and Yami rolled over onto his back, twisting his head around, attempting to bite at Kaiba's fingers.

He managed to catch one between his teeth, and he flicked his tongue out, tasting a wonderful sweetness. So delicious….

"Stop," Kaiba muttered, pulling his hand away, but the cat seem intent on playing now, twisting this way and that in his lap, trying to nip at his fingers.

Sighing, he snapped his laptop shut and leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the office ceiling. What fucking bullshit.  
His work life was trying to screw him over, and his love life was a huge mess.  
What was going right in his world right now?

Deciding he was done for the day, he gently set the cat down on the floor and packed up his briefcase, feeling the cat watching his every move.

Yami tilted his head curiously and followed Kaiba to the door, pleased when the door was held open for him.

"You first," Kaiba said tiredly, watching the cat give him a small smile before trotting in front of him.

Shaking his head, Kaiba chalked it up to his own exhaustion. He was seeing things.

* * *

**Author's note:**

mokuba terrorizes yami so much he runs away to spend the day with kaiba, but he realizes that's not a peaceful way to pass the day either. How will he survive?

Pooor yamiiiii and poor kaiba, the big 5 + pegasus is a very real obstacle for him

this chapter was edited by: taedae

please leave me a review of your thoughts! do you like where this story is going? :D

hugs,  
Ugli


	5. Chapter 5

Kaiba eased himself into the backseat of his limousine and let the cat settle in beside him.

It was so strange. This cat behaved almost like a dog, following him around everywhere, insisting on keeping him company.

Reaching down to pet the cat, he smiled when it yawned widely and flicked its tail contentedly at him.

He had to admit…this cat was kind of nice.

The car pulled away from the curb, and his phone buzzed in his pocket. Suppressing a tired groan, Kaiba slipped it out, seeing his secretary's number flashing across the screen.

"What?" He answered with a grimace, and he felt the cat nip at his fingers again.

"Mr. Kaiba, I'm getting calls from the head of marketing regarding a…nature reserve donation made in your name, and an amusement park grand opening? I'm going to have to clear out three days for you to attend this event!"

"Fuck," Kaiba growled, curling his fingers into his palm and feeling the cat hug his arm tightly. "Has it been cleared with the Board of Directors?"

"Yes, they're quite pleased with your donation," she said, sounding just as confused as he felt. "Although, I did get an earful. They said you should've consulted them before making such a visible move."

"I didn't make it, but that clearly doesn't matter," Kaiba breathed, thoroughly fed up with the Big 5's antics. "I'm guessing the Board wants me there."

"Yes, they're hosting it over the weekend, so you've got yourself a little holiday with Mokuba!" she chirped happily. "Check your email, I'll send you the travel itinerary."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and hung up.

Yami clung tightly onto Kaiba's arm and licked his lips dryly. A vacation! How exciting. He would have the entire house to himself for three days, free of the little terror known as Mokuba.

Kaiba stuck his phone back into his pocket and glanced down at the cat, talking to it as if it were human.

"They're trying to screw me over," he said robotically, patting the cat on its head. "I don't fucking know how, but I have a bad feeling about that damn island."

Yami bared his teeth playfully in response, nuzzling his head softly into the palm of Kaiba's hand.

_I'll drain them of their blood if they lay a finger on you,_ he thought happily, rolling over onto his side and enjoying the long fingers raking up and down his stomach.

This type of petting always sent massive tingles running up and down his spine. Yami purred warmly and closed his eyes. Yes…this was very nice….

The car lurched to a stop, and the driver's voice floated through the cabin. "Arrived at home, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba snatched his briefcase up, and to his surprise, his door was yanked open by Mokuba, who looked beside himself with fury.

"I lost the cat, Seto!" he shouted, looking incensed. "It ran out when I—"

Mokuba's voice caught in his throat when he saw the spotted cat lying contentedly on its side by Seto's leg, and Seto's fingers were buried in its fur, mid-pet.

No way! The cat had somehow found Seto at his office.  
Wait, it was totally possible because…the cat was a human.

"C'mere you…!" Mokuba lunged at the cat, and Yami yelped, leaping to his feet and dashing away frantically.

Dammit, dammit! The demonic child was relentless.

"Mokuba, what the fuck!" Kaiba cried, wincing in pain as the cat climbed his shoulders, and claws dug into his scalp while his younger brother threw himself across his lap, attempting to grab the cat.

"That cat is…Yami!" Mokuba breathed, eyeing the cat, which was clinging comically onto Seto's head. "Get off my brother, you monster."

Yami blinked, and his grip weakened slightly. Mokuba's words stung.  
Monster?  
He hadn't been called that word in…decades.

"Stop bullying the cat," Kaiba said tiredly, lifting the cat off his head and tucking it under his arm before stepping out of the limo. Mokuba stuck closely to his side, glaring venomously at Yami, who stuck his tongue out quickly.

"HE MADE A FACE AT ME!" Mokuba screeched, pointing angrily at Yami, and Yami did it again, sticking his tongue out quickly before lifting his paw to lick it slowly without breaking eye contact.

"Yes, animals can make faces," Kaiba said tiredly, walking up the front steps of the house and up the grand staircase, letting Isono lift the suitcase from his hand. "Isono, Mokuba and I got invited to a mandatory PR stunt. We'll be away this weekend, so stay here and take care of the animals."

"Let me come with you," Isono said steadily, following the older Kaiba into the room and noticing the cat's eyes gleaming strangely at him. "We can bring the dog…and the cat."

He watched the older Kaiba set the cat down and slip his jacket off. He hurried to help, and he draped the coat over his arm. Stepping backwards, he almost tripped over Mokuba, who came dashing up the stairs and lunging at the cat with his arms outstretched, his lips curled upwards in a snarl.

"You piece of shit, come here!" Mokuba shouted, chasing the cat under Kaiba's bed, and he dropped down on all fours, patting blindly for the cat's tail. He felt a sharp swipe from a paw, and he yanked his hand back angrily.

"Ow!"

Three claw marks were shining red with blood across the back of his hand, and his stomach curled with rage.

"Mokuba, what the hell are you doing?" Kaiba asked quietly, wondering why his brother was terrorizing the cat. "You really hate the cat that much? Come here, let's wash that wound—"

"The cat…is that weirdo friend of yours, Yami!" Mokuba cried, turning red in the face. "Nobody believes me, but I saw him, Seto! He turned into a cat, right under your bed! His clothes were still warm when I touched them!"

"…Because he just changed out of them?" Isono added unhelpfully, hoping to calm the young master down. "You've been reading too many fantasy comics, Mokuba. I saw Yami leave this morning."

"Did you really, or did you see a fake shadow of him leaving?" Mokuba shot back sarcastically, and Yami sat quietly under the bed in the dark, listening fearfully to this entire exchange.

This child was so incredibly smart, it was terrifying. Perhaps that was why the mild hypnosis wore off on him so quickly. Then the same could be said for the older Kaiba as well.

"Leave the cat alone," Kaiba said irritably. He stepped towards the bathroom, aching for a hot shower. "If you hate the cat that much, he stays in my room."

"Nope," Mokuba shook his head vehemently. "He's dangerous. Don't let him anywhere near you!"

Kaiba shook his head and closed the bathroom door, sighing.  
Mokuba had an overactive imagination for a kid his age.  
Isono gave Mokuba a small, sympathetic smile and bowed out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Mokuba glanced frantically between the open door and the closed bathroom door.

What the fuck! All the adults were ignoring him!

He peered under the bed again and saw a pair of amethyst eyes gleaming at him from the back.

Fine. If he couldn't catch this cat physically, he would have to trick it. It was a human after all.

"Truce," Mokuba said glumly, holding his hand out for a shake. "I'll be nice to you, but you have to tell me your secret when you're ready."

There was a long silence, and the cat didn't move from under the bed.

Sighing, Mokuba stood up and walked out of the room. He would show the cat that he was good on his word first. That was how deals were made.

Yami watched Mokuba's tiny legs exit the room, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Smart kid. It seemed Mokuba had decided to label him as "dangerous" and a "monster", whereas the other children before him called him a magical being, a fairy, or a spirit.

It unnerved Yami because Mokuba was right.

Inching out from under the bed, he paused mid-step when he saw the bathroom door swing open, and Kaiba appeared in the doorway, shirtless and wet.

Blinking rapidly, Yami stared shamelessly at the CEO's bare chest, taking in each wonderful, muscular curve and his shockingly pale skin. He was looking paler than usual.

Kaiba wobbled with each step, and his entire body ached strangely. Why was he so fucking tired?

Yami held his breath, watching as Kaiba stumbled towards a large walk-in closet and barely managed to pull on a set of pants. Was he imagining things or was the human unsteady?

Almost as if it was happening in slow motion, Yami watched Kaiba lean against the doorframe of the closet, close his eyes, and fall forwards to the floor.

Dashing forward frantically, Yami threw himself down flat to catch Kaiba's head before it hit the ground. A sharp pain struck his chest as Kaiba's weight nearly crushed the air out of his lungs in a sudden _whoosh!_ and he let out a pained cry that echoed faintly around the room.

Struggling to extract himself from underneath Kaiba's unconscious body, Yami cried out loudly again, hoping Mokuba or the manservant would hear him. The human had fainted!

Mokuba heard the cat crying pitifully in the other room, and he threw his pencil down on his textbook triumphantly. Finally. Yami was ready to make a damn truce.

He dashed down the hallway and skidded to a halt at the door of Seto's room, his heart leaping into his throat, choking him terribly when he saw his older brother splayed out on the floor, shirtless and still wet from the shower with the cat pinned underneath his head where he had landed.

Yami had caught Seto's head when he'd fainted.

"Seto…?" Mokuba gasped, growing weak all over as he ran forward to cradle his older brother's head in his arms. "ISONO! CALL A DOCTOR!"

Yami inched out from underneath Kaiba's head and sat shakily beside Mokuba's leg, watching the child cry earnestly over his brother's unconscious body, and his stomach churned with terrible guilt.  
This was his fault. Was it his fault?  
Had he gone too far and feasted too frequently?

But it had only been twice…or was it thrice?

Footsteps came thundering up the stairs and through the hallway. Isono appeared in the doorway with a cellphone pressed to his ear, sweating and breathless. He kneeled beside the older Kaiba and pressed the back of his hand to his cheek, checking his temperature while he spoke rapidly into the phone over Mokuba's desperate sobs.

He pressed two fingers to Kaiba's neck, frantically searching for a pulse.  
There was one, but it was very weak...and slow.

The doctor on the other end was asking pointless questions, being generally unhelpful.

_"Did he eat today? Did he go to bed at a reasonable time? Was the bath too hot, perhaps? Bring a cold towel and—"_

"This is an emergency," Isono hissed, resisting the urge to yell. "His pulse is weak. Call an ambulance or bring a whole team with you, I don't care how you do it, but you need to be here in five minutes." And he hung up furiously, reaching forward to console Mokuba quickly.

"Don't cry, young master. Come, let's move him to the bed. Step away now, come on…" he coaxed, pulling Mokuba away by the arm.

Mokuba hiccupped loudly and scooped the cat up in his arms, watching Isono gently roll Seto over on to his back and carry him to the bed.

Yami winced, feeling Mokuba give him a tight squeeze, and a sharp pain reverberated up his abdomen. It felt like he had a broken rib or two.

"I'll call the maids…cold water…air out the room…" Isono mumbled to himself, rushing away hastily and slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Mokuba, stay here and watch his condition. If he stops breathing, call for me…."

Mokuba nodded, his chest tight with fear. Yami's warmth was comforting, and he gave the cat a tight hug. Yami meowed in pain, but he was ignored.

"Shut up. I'm saying thanks for catching him," Mokuba said quietly, approaching the bed and staring fearfully at his brother's pale face. "He looks like he hasn't been eating well…"

Five agonizing minutes ticked by before the door finally burst open, and several people in white coats wearing face masks filed into the room, pulling machines and a gurney behind them.

Yami twisted his head around to watch, but Mokuba held him at such a bad angle in his arms, he could only see half of what was happening.

A man was talking rapidly to a nurse at his side, strapping a heart monitor to the side of Kaiba's bed, and his gloved hands were pressing down on Kaiba's stomach and chest.

"Is he okay?" Mokuba asked shrilly, standing on his tiptoes as more adults blocked his line of sight to the bed with their backs all turned to him. "Hey! Someone answer me!"

"Young master, come here," Isono said sternly, leading Mokuba out of the room, and he felt the child resist stubbornly.

"NO! I wanna stay in there with Seto!" Mokuba cried, feeling Yami slip dangerously low in his arms, and he felt claws dig into his shirt as Yami tried to hang on. "Isono! You gotta let me stay in there!"

"He's going to be fine," Isono answered robotically, leading Mokuba back into his room three doors down. "Let the doctors do their work and Seto will get better. It seems he hasn't been eating properly. He will be fine."

Yami tensed and ground his teeth, trying to stem his own guilt as Mokuba buried his face into the fur on his back to suppress heartbroken sobs.

Extremely uncomfortable, Yami let himself be held tightly until Mokuba's sobs grew fainter before they turned into quiet hiccups.

It was getting unbearably hot in Mokuba's arms. He struggled weakly, and finally, the child released him.

Landing on the floor, he gave Mokuba's leg a reassuring pat before he hopped up on the child's bed, meowing quietly.

Mokuba sat down glumly on the edge of his bed and laid down, feeling the cat climb up and sit down on his chest. Its weight was reassuring, and he felt a soft tongue lick his chin.

"Ew…" Mokuba said tiredly, throwing an arm over his swollen eyes, and he took a deep, shuddering breath. "…Don't kiss me…we're still enemies."

Yami bit back a smile and snuggled down atop Mokuba's chest, feeling the child's breathing get heavier and deeper. This was good. At least the child was calming down.

He closed his eyes and felt his stomach growl hungrily.  
Annoyed, Yami opened his eyes and glanced at the still-healing scratch on the back of Mokuba's hand. He leaned forward to give it a tentative lick, his tongue sizzling with electricity every time he tasted blood.

_Stop it!_ Yami reprimanded himself angrily. Resolving to find another meal alternative, Yami slowly got up off Mokuba's chest, making sure the child remained fast asleep when he leapt down to the ground.

He hurried out of the room, thinking he would take a bite out of the dog to satiate his bloodlust for now.  
Pausing in the hallway, he saw the group of doctors still hovering around Kaiba's bedside, and he stuffed the twinge of guilt back down his chest as he hurried down the grand staircase.

Humans fainted all the time. This one wasn't his fault.

Making his way through the large house, Yami managed to enter the back garden through the dog door, and he peered around curiously, taking in the large expanse of grass, the tall trees, and the neatly paved path.

Everything looked different when he was a cat. Yami scanned the garden hungrily, seeing several birds chirping in the branches above his head. They were too tiny and would only be two or three gulps. He needed something bigger…that wasn't the family dog.

Slinking towards a large oak tree, Yami sat very still and waited, listening for the tell-tale scratch of claws on the trunk that would indicate a squirrel was nearby. After several long moments, Yami decided to lie down.  
The sun was beginning to set quickly, so his strength was returning little by little.

He heard a soft clicking of teeth behind him, and he froze triumphantly, waiting for the clicking to get closer.

The rapid beating of the animal's heart was loud in his ears, and Yami held his breath, holding out for as long as possible before he spun around to attack with his claws outstretched and his fangs extended.

A blur of black and white zipped across his vision as he clung onto the furry animal with all his might, biting down tightly and enjoying the thick spurt of blood flooding into his mouth.

Sweet relief. Color was returning to his vision again, and his hearing sharpened wonderfully.

Taking several deep drafts, Yami could feel the animal weakening quickly, so he pulled his head back, pausing to breathe and to finally take a good look at what he had managed to catch.

To his utmost horror, it was another cat. And this one had a collar.

Extracting himself from the corpse, Yami cursed himself silently.  
Well, the Kaiba family wouldn't take too kindly to a cat corpse on their front step…so he would have to hide or bury the body.

Swiping guiltily at the collar, Yami cut the thin leather strap off the dead cat's neck with his claws and flung it aside carelessly. It tinkled sadly when it hit the ground somewhere in the distance. Then, Yami clamped down on the cat's black tail, dragging its body behind the tree.

It was still bleeding from its neck.  
The blood was shining enticingly up at him, and Yami couldn't resist.  
He dipped his head down to lick it up, hating himself for enjoying the taste.

There had to be a more sustainable way to feed. Killing pets was not the solution.

Yami lowered his head and apologized to the cat's corpse before he wedged it behind the tree, underneath the fence. He would come back to drink the rest of its blood tomorrow and the day after. If he drained the cat until it turned into a husk, it would be easier to bury.

Padding back towards the house, Yami tingled all over with the warmth of being fully fed.

He slipped through the dog door and paused when he heard the doctors whispering two floors above.

_"…It seems he was anemic…" _the nurse's voice, sounding sympathetic.

_"Yes, very strange. His results show that he was low in iron…which could be due to malnourishment or stress. Please make sure he takes the supplements…." _The doctor sounded very concerned and a bit confused.

Isono's voice sounded shaken and grateful when he answered, "thank you, thank you so much, Doctor."

Yami froze, a terrible weight crushing his chest when he realized it was indeed his fault that Kaiba had fainted.

Anemic? Low in iron?

_I am the monster residing in this house!_ Yami cried angrily to himself, pacing around in a circle before sitting back down again. _Mokuba was right_.  
This was horrible, terrible.  
He was a fool to believe he could ever be a force of good in any human's life.

At that moment, he vowed he would no longer feast on Kaiba's blood. He was the monster bringing death and bad luck to any humans who cared for him, so he couldn't stay.

First, he had to make amends with Mokuba, and tell the child the truth about himself. Second, he would apologize to Seto Kaiba when he woke up, and leave the mansion without a second look back.

Bounding up the stairs, Yami ran into Mokuba's room and sat breathlessly at the edge of his bed, waiting for the kid to wake up. He was at full strength now and would be for some time. Changing back as proof for the child was something he could afford to do.

Deciding to lie down, Yami curled up beside Mokuba's leg and listened to the sounds in the house. The doctors were leaving, and Isono was helping them out the door.

Closing his eyes softly, he drifted off into a light slumber, enjoying the warmth of a full stomach and the steady breathing coming from Mokuba beside him.

* * *

Kaiba slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the chandelier above his head.  
He was parched.  
His throat was terribly dry, so much that his lips were cracked, and his body ached all over.

Sitting up with effort, he glanced around the room, wondering why it was so dark. The last thing he could remember was….

Closing his eyes, Kaiba racked his brain, but could only remember leaving his office and getting into his limousine with the cat in his lap.

Opening his eyes again, he spotted a glass of water beside his bed, alongside a tray of vitamins, and a note with Isono's handwriting.

Desperate for relief, Kaiba snatched up the water and downed it in three gulps. Gasping for air, he set the glass down heavily and read the note.

_"Master Kaiba, please don't frighten us like that again.  
Call me the moment you see this. I will come tend to you.  
Do NOT get out of bed.  
The doctor says you are low in iron due to your poor eating habits, so please take these supplements."_

Growling, Kaiba tossed the note aside and inched out of bed, lightheaded and dizzy.

He didn't need bedrest. He needed a goddamn sandwich because his stomach was grumbling very painfully.

_I'll eat, dammit_, Kaiba hissed to himself, walking unsteadily out the door and into the hallway.

He could hear snoring as he passed Mokuba's room, and he glanced inside briefly, pleased to see his little brother fast asleep with the spotted cat curled up beside him.

Leaning against the banister for support, Kaiba's knees almost buckled with every downward step. He had never been so fucking hungry before in his life. All he could think about was food and what he could put in his mouth to make the hunger stop.

_Serves me right_, Kaiba thought glumly, limping into the kitchen and catching a whiff of a wonderfully savory potato pie.

His mouth watered, and he yanked the refrigerator door open, scanning the shelves.  
Strange. It smelled like Isono had left a prepped meal in there, but there was nothing other than rows of vegetables and fruits.

An apple gleamed enticingly red at him in the low lights, so he grabbed it and took a bite, promptly spitting it back out when tasted like old dust.

Frowning, Kaiba inspected the apple, slamming the refrigerator door behind himself, wondering if the apple had gone bad.

He took another bite and chewed slowly. It was still crisp, but tasted extremely bland, and the texture was horrible. It crumbled disgustingly across his tongue, so Kaiba spit it out again, aware that he was making a huge mess.

Tossing the apple in the trash, he circled the kitchen counter hungrily.

Every time he moved, he could smell that warm, sweetness…and it was coming from…outside.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the dog door, seeing a tiny, bloody pawprint on the floor. The cat had probably killed a bird and left it on the step. This was exactly why he hated cats.

Furious, he yanked the patio door open and glanced down, expecting a dead bird, but all he found was a thin trail of blood leading into the grass. It seemed to glow eerily in the low moonlight, and Kaiba glanced up, observing a thin crescent moon hidden behind a few cloudy wisps.

Odd.  
It wasn't that bright out here, but he could see perfectly…almost as if it was daytime.

The delicious scent drifted under his nose again, and Kaiba focused sharply on the trail of blood, his mind humming with excitement. What the fuck smelled so damn good?  
The scent was getting stronger the more he ventured out toward the back of the garden.

Stepping softly into the grass, he eyed the thin, red trail, following it behind a large tree, and shock rooted him to the spot when he discovered a perfectly intact corpse of a stray black cat, pitifully caught underneath the fence. It seemed to have suffocated and had scratched at everything, including itself, in an attempt to break free.

Bending down, Kaiba picked it up with both hands, startled to discover that the body was still warm.

It had recently died, within the hour.

Before he could fully stop himself or fully register what he was doing, Kaiba found his nose buried in the soft black fur of the cat's stomach, and a delectable liquid coated his tongue the moment he bit into the soft flesh. It had a very sweet flavor, almost too sweet, but Kaiba didn't mind, because he had daringly taken a tiny sip, and felt positively electrified.

His head rushed with ecstasy, and the strength came rushing back to his legs. His mind cleared, and he felt alive, awake—more awake than he'd ever been in the past few years.

It was this cat, and this cat's blood.  
The realization was horrifying, and Kaiba tried to pull away but found that he could no longer stop. He fell to his knees, drinking hungrily, letting the warmth fill him up completely.

The body was getting lighter in his hands, and each sip was getting harder to take. Dismayed, Kaiba held the cat's corpse at an arm's length, gently rolling its furry body between his hands.  
It was like toothpaste, right?  
Squeeze correctly in the right direction and more will come out.

His fingers came away with wetness, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes, discovering that the cat had two puncture wounds on its neck. Someone or some_thing _had been here before him.

Feeling slightly territorial, Kaiba grit his teeth and bent the cat's neck to the side, seeing long claw marks trailing down its side.  
A wild animal had attacked it.  
Whatever. Not his problem. It was survival of the fittest.

Sinking his teeth down into the body again, Kaiba was annoyed to discover that he had sucked it dry.

Sitting back on his heels, Kaiba laid the corpse down in front of his knees, taking deep shuddering breaths. What the fuck was he doing? Had he completely lost it? Why was he out here drinking a dead cat's blood in the middle of the goddamn night?  
Perhaps he really was sick. Isono was fucking right.

Fear clutched his chest, and Kaiba leapt to his feet, rushing back into the house at full speed. He found that he couldn't stop in time, and he ran shoulder first into the patio door, shattering the glass the moment he came into contact with it.

There was a deafening crash as the glass sprinkled down around his feet, and Kaiba lost his balance, falling forward onto his palms.

Mokuba and Yami jerked awake. Yami hopped off Mokuba's bed, watching the child race out of his room toward the source of the noise. It sounded like someone was trying to break in…!

Cursing, Kaiba slowly got to his feet and shivered. He could hear Mokuba thumping down the stairs, so he hastily brushed glass off his body and made sure there were no residual spots of blood or fur on his body.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, skidding to a halt when he saw that the glass patio door had crumbled into a million pieces, leaving only the doorframe intact with Seto standing on the other side, looking dazed but otherwise very healthy.

Yami circled Mokuba's feet, observing the strange sight as well. It seemed the human was awake and furiously breaking things. Was this normal? Because the child didn't seem too surprised at the broken glass door.

"What's wrong, Seto?" Mokuba cried, wringing his hands tightly. "Are you okay? Are you mad?"

"No, kid, I'm…fine," Kaiba said calmly, kicking the shards of glass aside and stepping into the house. "We'll get thicker glass for these doors, okay? It was an accident."

Blinking incredulously, Yami watched the older Kaiba bend down and give his younger brother a tight hug.

"How much thicker?" Mokuba asked, his voice muffled against Seto's shoulder, enjoying the tight hug. "Miyu already broke it once before…maybe the door shouldn't be glass…."

The warm smell of coffee coupled with an unfamiliar scent flooded Mokuba's nose when Seto pulled away, and he glanced curiously up at his older brother.

"Are you feeling better, Seto? Did you take a shower? Your soap smells weird."

"I feel great," Kaiba answered wholeheartedly. That was the truth. He felt fucking fantastic.

Yami stood up on his hind legs and pawed at Kaiba's foot. He wanted to tell the older Kaiba he was sorry, but he was ignored.

"Go back to bed," Kaiba said gently, leading his brother up the stairs, feeling the cat tag closely at his heels. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Mokuba nodded and let his older brother walk him to the bed and tuck him in. He felt a soft thump as the cat jumped up beside him, and Kaiba leaned away, giving the cat a careless pet on the head.

"I see you two made up," Kaiba said warmly. He stood up quickly and walked out of Mokuba's room.

Yami had half a mind to follow the older Kaiba, but Mokuba called for him to stay.

"Yami…don't leave," Mokuba commanded. He slipped his hand under his pillow and produced his phone, hastily texting Isono.

Yami sat down obediently at the foot of Mokuba's bed and tucked his head down atop his tail. Fine. He would keep the child company until the manservant came along.

Watching the child text Isono, he lifted his head up curiously, wondering where Mokuba's parents were.  
It seemed the only adults he relied on were his older brother and the manservant.

Should he risk communicating with Mokuba or should he wait?

_I'll wait,_ Yami thought to himself, lying his head down again and listening to the rapid footsteps of the manservant rushing through the house. He would observe further and then make his move.

Downstairs, Isono stared shell-shocked at the giant mess in the kitchen and patio area.

Bits of glass lay scattered everywhere, and dirty footprints were stamped all around the shiny floors. They were large footprints, so it seemed the older Kaiba had gone on a rampage inside and outside, for some reason or another.

Shaking with disbelief, Isono tapped on his phone to call the maids before he hastily made his way up the stairs. What was happening in this household? The older Kaiba did have a temper problem, but it was never this bad.

Rushing past Mokuba's open bedroom door, Isono barged into the older Kaiba's bedroom, surprised to find Kaiba dressed and sitting at his desk, looking generally healthy and very composed.

He was no longer deathly pale, and his hair was sporting a lively shine underneath the mellow chandelier lights.

"M-Master Kaiba," Isono bowed stiffly and swept his gaze around the room, noticing the vitamins had gone untouched. "Please, get back into bed. Doctor's orders."

"I feel fine," Kaiba answered amicably, tapping away at his laptop, not at all hiding the fact that he was looking up the health effects of animal blood. "I had to take a little nap. I'm fine. Now get out."

"The patio is a mess," Isono said firmly. "What was that about?"

"I was hungry, and I underestimated my own strength," Kaiba answered dully, wondering if consuming animal blood also somehow gave him super-agility. He had managed to break a triple-paned glass door by merely shouldering it.

"I'll make you something to eat," Isono whispered, dashing away and making sure to close the door behind him.  
Of course the master was hungry. The doctors estimated he hadn't eaten a real meal in several days. Unacceptable.  
He was failing as Kaiba's caretaker.

Kaiba watched Isono leave, and he aimed his gaze back at his computer screen, feeling exhilarated. Maybe he had stumbled across something new.  
That nap had done wonders.  
There was a strange gap of memory missing, but Kaiba shrugged it off.

He figured it was because he had slept so soundly, this was finally what it felt like to be completely at ease.

Rolling his shoulders back and flexing his fingers, he resolved to get some work done tonight so he could at least try to enjoy the trip to the island with Mokuba.

* * *

**Author's note:**

mokuba and yami are friends again….for now.  
something strange is happening in kaiba's world….!

edited by: taedae

here's a** link to a post with pics from my recent travel to japan!**

(paste in you browser without the spaces and underscore;P)

( h_ttps:/ / ugli fish . tu m bl r dot com / post/189196188509/my-quick-stay-in-japan-ygo-spotting-post )

i have a lot of spare millennium item necklace toppers that are made from diecast metal! I went a little crazy buying them because i figured they'd make great gifts for xmas :P  
PM me if you'd like one!

Hugs,  
Ugli


	6. Chapter 6

Yami slowly inched away from Mokuba's sleeping body, relieved that the child had finally fallen asleep.

He dropped silently onto the floor and padded softly out of the room, down the hallway, towards the older Kaiba's room. The sound of fingers tapping against a keyboard was reassuring. It seemed Kaiba was back to his usual self.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba caught a movement, and he recognized it as the cat.

He hit 'save' and craned his neck over his desk, smiling at the spotted cat who was slowly approaching his desk.

"Hey there," he said warmly, and Yami froze, quite taken aback by the sudden change of tone.

Something was…not quite right.

He stayed where he was while Kaiba rose out of his chair and strode over to him, picking him up in his arms and holding him up to his face. They made eye contact, and Yami swallowed thinly, daring himself to enjoy the brightness of Kaiba's clear blue eyes.

He had to give it to this human. He was…incredibly handsome.

"You're an apex predator, aren't you?" Kaiba asked calmly, weighing the cat in his arms before he pressed his nose into the top of its head, nuzzling into the softness and taking a deep inhale. "Did you get into a fight and kill that black cat about an hour ago?"

Yami froze, growing cold all over as he wondered how Kaiba could've possibly known that.  
Ah, well, the CEO was taking a walk outside, which was why the glass door had shattered…. Had he seen the corpse? But he had hidden it well!

"You don't smell like anything," Kaiba frowned, wondering if it was only black cats that smelled and tasted like sweet potato pie. "I guess you're clean."

_I am clean!_ Yami thought indignantly, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, thinking he had heard the cat speak to him.

"Did you say something?" Kaiba asked curiously, kneading the cat in his hands, and he earned a painful yowl.

Yami winced and gasped for air when Kaiba's fingers pressed down into a still-healing rib. It had only been a couple hours since Kaiba had landed on him, and even at full strength, healing took time.

He was saved by Isono coming in with a tray of food, and he spied a freshly grilled fish on a white plate. Excited, Yami scrambled towards the manservant and stood up on his hind legs, keeping his eyes wide. The fish…please…!

"Down, boy," Isono said absently, setting the tray on Kaiba's desk and giving the master an appraising look, appreciating how the color had returned to his face. "You look well, Mr. Kaiba, but please, eat."

"The cat can have it. I'm not hungry," Kaiba said quietly, watching the cat intensely. He was waiting to hear it speak again.

Did this mean he could understand dogs too?

"I insist," Isono said coldly, putting his foot down. "I will not have you starving yourself on my watch."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and sat down behind his desk, waving Isono away. "Thanks, old man. I'll eat."

Isono nodded stiffly and bowed out of the room.

Kaiba waited until he heard his manservant's footsteps disappear down the hall before he inched his chair back and called for the cat.

"Hey, cat, want some fish?"

Yami flicked his ears, interested. He ran over to Kaiba's chair, circling his legs excitedly, purring while he rubbed against a stiff calf. Yes, food, please.

He gazed up at Kaiba, seeing the man smirk at him and hold up two slender fingers.

"You get two pieces of grilled fish if you talk," Kaiba said gleefully, wondering if Mokuba was indeed right. What if…the cat was Yami. Impossible, right? But he had to check.

_Talk…dammit,_ Kaiba growled, keeping the pleasant smile plastered on his face while the cat stared blankly up at him, blinking its angular amethyst eyes.

Yami heard this passing thought and decided to remain silent. How touching. The older Kaiba was taking Mokuba's words at face value and was also testing him. It really was time to leave this mansion.

"Fine, I'll talk to the dog instead," Kaiba said stiffly, setting the entire plate of fish down by his feet and stepping over the cat.

Yami's mouth watered heavily, and he dove forward to enjoy his meal. Food always tasted the best when he was fully fed in animal form, so he had to make the most of it. Grilled fish was delicious.

Kaiba hurried through the house, listening intently for Isono's footsteps. Making his way down several flights of stairs, he finally reached Miyu's room, and he dipped inside hastily, making sure to ease the door shut behind himself.

The dog barked loudly in fear, and Kaiba frantically pressed a finger to his lips.

_Don't fucking bark!_ Kaiba shook his head furiously, seeing the dog cower in the corner, behaving strangely.

"Hey, it's me…" he whispered, holding his hand outstretched, and to his dismay, Miyu whined and looked away, panting nervously while pawing at the ground.

What the hell? Was something spooking her?

"What's wrong?" Kaiba coaxed, walking over to her and pulling her into a tight hug. He felt the dog freeze and remain motionless for a long time.

He leaned away and cupped the dog's face in his hands, gazing deeply into her brown eyes. Her eyes widened so much; he could see the whites around them. Why was she so scared?

"Can you say something?" Kaiba asked, and the dog blinked fearfully back at him. He listened intently, and there was nothing but the rapid heartbeat thundering in her chest.

He leaned forward and buried his nose into the top of her head, inhaling deeply. Kaiba's eyes widened while his senses were assaulted by the strange barrage of scents. She smelled like salted caramel, very sweet, but on the savory side…delicious….

Kaiba smiled and ran his tongue along the bottom of his lip, nearly cutting himself on the tops of his teeth, and he leaned away nervously, flicking his tongue in and out again, tasting his own blood.

What the…?

Slowly running the tip of his tongue along the tops of his teeth again, Kaiba encountered an extra canine tooth hidden beneath the fold of his lip, just above his gums.

Was he turning into a dog after eating that cat's blood?

He could feel Miyu trembling in his arms, and she began to slowly urinate on the floor right where she was sitting.

"Fuck!" Kaiba leapt to his feet, feeling the wetness staining his knees, and he glared at her. "Why did you do that? What are you so scared of?"

"Master Kaiba!"

Kaiba turned around furiously, seeing Isono standing with his arms crossed at the doorway.

"Get back into bed. Did you eat?"

"Yes, _mother_," Kaiba said venomously, rolling his eyes. "I'm going back up. Don't follow me. Clean her up. She went to the bathroom all over the floor."

"What? Why?" Isono cried, rushing forward to tend to the dog. "Miyu! Didn't you go to the bathroom an hour ago? Is this reverse potty training? This is twice in a week! We need to get her a dog trainer, Master Kaiba. I thought we did a great job ourselves, but…."

Kaiba shut Isono out, slightly surprised he could still hear his manservant talking even when he was three stories below.

He locked himself in his room and eyed the spotted cat, who was still eating quietly under his desk. Staring at the fresh salad in a small dish, Kaiba wrinkled his nose. After his horrible encounter with the apple, he was afraid of eating something else that might taste like dust.

Leaning down to give it a sniff, he was relieved to discover that the salad smelled…normal.

Picking up the chopsticks, he dipped them into the salad and slipped a dressing-covered leaf in his mouth, chewing slowly. There was still a dullness in the flavor, and Kaiba frowned.  
Was Isono's cooking slipping, or were his taste buds screwy?

He picked up an orange slice and popped it into his mouth, feeling it burst the moment his teeth clamped down, and the usual citrusy tang wasn't present. Chewing it angrily into a pulp, Kaiba swallowed the disgusting lump and scanned the tray, snatching up the bowl of rice and the side of spicy tofu along with some sesame seasoned seaweed.

Hastily dripping a glob of seaweed and tofu atop the rice, he shoved it in his mouth and chewed.

It tasted like he was eating paper with a side of mush.

Isono's cooking was fine.  
His own taste buds were betraying him.

Yami smacked his lips happily and hopped up on Kaiba's chair, meowing softly in thanks. He watched the CEO set his bowl of rice down angrily, talking to him as if he was human.

"Eating is such an annoying chore," Kaiba scoffed at the cat, throwing his chopsticks down with a clatter. "What the fuck do I do with this? He's going to come in and force-feed me. Can you eat it?"

Yami's heart skipped a beat when Kaiba met his eyes once more, and he dared to shake his head. He was full of grilled fish.

"Oh, so you can shake your head, but you can't say no?" Kaiba seethed, beginning to see why Mokuba was frustrated with this mysterious cat. He pointed threateningly at it with a slender finger.

"Don't say anything then."

Picking up the tray, Kaiba rushed into the bathroom to toss the food into the toilet.

Yami tilted his head and watched this behavior with rising concern.

He had spent approximately three days with Kaiba now, and even when he was in human form, he recalled Kaiba had also refused food from the maids downstairs.  
The doctors were right when they said Kaiba was lacking nutrients, so perhaps it was a combination of the horrible eating and constant blood feasting that had led to his collapse.

_He has a mental illness—an eating disorder!_ Yami realized, his fur rising slowly with horror.

Kaiba jerked his head up when he heard this, and he rushed out of the bathroom, nearly forgetting to flush the food down before he came out, and he bent over the desk, glaring at the cat.

"Say that to my face," he sneered at the cat. "Did you just say I have an eating disorder? What the fuck kind of cat are you?"

Yami blinked rapidly, reminding himself to keep his thoughts in check. He wasn't accustomed to being at full strength, so it was a terrifying experience anytime someone inadverdently understood him…but perhaps, it was a good time to come clean.

_I'm sorry,_ Yami thought firmly, and he watched as Kaiba threw his head back to laugh heartily.

Unnerved by the sudden outburst of emotion, Yami hopped up on the desk and sat down gracefully. What a strange human.

"Okay, interrogation time," Kaiba said gleefully, circling the desk and sitting down in his chair with a flourish. "Where is your owner, and why did he leave you here with me?"

Nervous, Yami remained silent, unsure of how to answer this. He was instantly reminded of how Mokuba had set him on the desk and stared him down. These two were definitely related.

_First, tell me where Mokuba's parents are_, Yami replied anxiously, and he watched Kaiba frown slightly.

"No parents," Kaiba answered tersely, lacing his fingers together and propping his elbows up on the desk, obscuring his mouth. "We only have each other."

Yami's chest tightened with a strange feeling, and he nodded.

"Right, I answered your stupid question, now answer mine," Kaiba demanded bossily, drumming his fingers on the surface of his desk. "Where does Yami go on these trips of his?"

_Nowhere?_ Yami ventured carefully in response, wondering when Kaiba would put two and two together. Didn't his voice sound the same in his thoughts?

"Nowhere," Kaiba repeated, struggling to keep a straight face. "So, you're saying…he's still here."

_…Yes,_ Yami answered quietly, lowering his head guilty, ready to tell the full truth. _He's always around. Do you want to see him now? He has something to tell you._

"Sure," Kaiba said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Didn't he say he was a…what was it, a magician? You do his bidding? Or is it the other way around?"

Yami raised his head and made solid eye contact with Kaiba, his confusion rising. Was he being teased? He was trying to be serious here…!

Kaiba propped his chin on his hand and gazed intently into the cat's amethyst eyes, his mind oddly clear. He wanted to see Yami right now. Could the cat make that happen?

_If you want to see Yami now, I'll fetch him,_ Yami said nervously, feeling oddly light-headed when he hopped off the desk, and he made his way to the bathroom.

"Hurry up," Kaiba grinned, feeling the odd tooth grazing along his upper lip.

He watched as the cat kicked the bathroom door shut with his hind leg, and he stared incredulously at the closed door.  
What a weird cat.  
Pulling himself together, Kaiba leapt to his feet and ran towards the full-length mirror beside his bed to inspect his own reflection. The extra tooth hiding in his gums was freaking him out. He had to see what the fuck it was.

Approaching the mirror, Kaiba froze, shock rooting him to the spot when he realized…he had no reflection.

Fear gripped his chest tightly as he waved cautiously, but seeing nothing other than the TV, the couch, and the closet doors behind him.

He leaned up against the mirror and breathed on it, seeing the glass fog up, but it was as if he didn't exist.

Thoroughly spooked, Kaiba grabbed the mirror and turned it away with effort.  
Maybe he was hallucinating. He was making it all up. Even the extra tooth inside his mouth was a figment of his imagination.  
Nothing was real.  
This was all happening inside his head because he was…sleep deprived, malnourished, paranoid, stressed, or well-rested….

A soft knock sounded at his door, pulling him sharply back to reality, and Isono's voice floated through it. "Master Kaiba, I'm here to collect the tray."

Yami listened intently, crouching with his ear pressed against the door, completely naked. He was about to exit the bathroom to confront Kaiba but had heard Isono coming up the steps.

The sound of the door opening and closing echoed thinly around the room, and Yami held his breath, hearing Kaiba sigh and sit down on something soft. It seemed safe to come out, but just in case, he would wait an extra five minutes.  
He didn't want to risk being seen by the manservant. It was going to be difficult enough answering Kaiba's questions, he didn't want Isono piling on as well.

Kaiba tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes briefly, feeling extremely relaxed and at ease with the world. It was as if nothing could bother him. Not even a call from Pegasus could ruin his night because he felt so rested.

His neck and shoulders were no longer tight with stress, and his body was oddly light.

_Maybe I should take naps more often,_ Kaiba thought blissfully, drifting off slightly.

Yami peeked out of the bathroom and was shocked to discover Kaiba sleeping peacefully in the bed. Mildly irritated, he stepped out and approached the edge of the bed, hovering over Kaiba with his arms crossed across his bare chest.

"Seto," Yami hovered over Kaiba's face, feeling his breath breeze across his blond bangs. "I'm here. Wake up, dammit."

The CEO remained fast asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Yami frowned, staring intently into Kaiba's face, taking in the sharp cheekbones and the slender nose which rose into a wonderful peak, sitting just above a pair of soft, plush lips.

Looking away hastily, Yami pressed a palm to his bare chest, terrified of the sudden tightness he felt. This was bad. He recognized this feeling. It was…love. Affection.

His cheeks burned when he recalled the one, awkward, sexual experience he'd had with Kaiba. That moment had felt rushed…and forced.  
Something about this man was different.  
He seemed different then, and he seemed different now while laying here asleep.

Sighing to himself, Yami circled the bed and climbed up on the other side, tucking himself in beside Kaiba. He could get some rest before having to explain himself tomorrow.

He snuggled closer and pressed his forehead against Kaiba's shoulder, mildly startled to find that his skin was cold. Shifting the covers up higher around the CEO's chest, Yami laid his head back down and stared at the profile Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face.

Light brown bangs rested handsomely across a strong brow, and Yami felt another strange flutter in his chest.

Shutting his eyes tightly, he forced himself to sleep, which surprisingly wasn't too hard. The room was cool, and the house was quiet. The sound of Kaiba's breathing quickly lulled him to sleep.

* * *

Kaiba's eyes shot open, and he bolted upright in bed, shivering from head to toe.

He was freezing!

He swept his gaze around the room, his stomach gnarling with hunger again. Someone was rolled up underneath the sheets beside him.

A one-night stand? Had he been drunk last night?

Hissing in annoyance, he gently extracted himself from the bed and snuck into the bathroom, feeling a headache coming on. Kaiba sagged heavily against the door, trying to remember what the hell he'd been doing before he passed out.

Shutting his eyes and gripping his hair, Kaiba took a slow, shuddering breath, willing himself to calm down…calm down…calm down….

The last thing he remembered was…leaving his office and getting into his limousine with the cat in his lap.

What had happened after that?

Kaiba slowly opened his eyes and stood, mechanically walking into the shower out of habit. What time was it? It was still dark outside…well, it was dark every day whenever he woke up. At least this way, he knew he wasn't late for work.

He stood under the rushing water, thinking he must've picked up the one-night stand on the way back from the office.  
Who was it? Did it matter?  
All that mattered was that he got away before she, or he, woke up.

The first one to leave the room after a one-night stand assumed the least amount of responsibility.

Shutting the water off hastily, Kaiba stepped out and reached for a towel, freezing when he didn't see his arm in the reflection of the mirror. Horrified, he dropped the towel on the floor and nearly tripped over himself while scrambling out of the shower to get a closer look.

Breathing heavily, he leaned over the sink, glaring into the mirror with all his might, seeing nothing but the large windows and the door leading into the walk-in closet over his shoulder.

A quarter moon shone brightly, casting its silver glow over the marble surfaces in the bathroom. Kaiba stared at it for a full minute before he tore his his eyes away, feeling a sudden urge to stand under it…outside.

Gripping the sides of the sink, Kaiba avoided looking in the mirror while his head spun with fear and confusion. His throat was impossibly dry, and his stomach was curling painfully with unbelievable hunger.  
He had never been so fucking hungry before in his life.

Deciding he would deal with the mirror issue later, Kaiba didn't bother drying off before he dashed out of the bathroom, down the grand staircase, through the kitchen and out through the glass patio door, which he barely noticed had been broken.  
It was as if something had possessed him.  
A magnetic force was pulling him outside.

Treading softly over the grass, Kaiba stood naked in the garden with his arms outstretched, drinking in the silvery moonlight.

His skin seemed to glow with an eerie paleness, and Kaiba glanced down at his own arms, enjoying the incredible warmth. The moon was his new sunlight. He felt energized, happy, and…invincible.

Perhaps there was another tasty black cat around. The thought seized him fully and consumed him. Kaiba dropped down on all fours, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to pick up a scent. Any scent.  
Blood…flesh…anything delicious, anything he could sink his teeth into that would taste absolutely…alive.

After a moment, a wonderfully sweet scent wafted under his nose, and Kaiba's eyes shot open with excitement. Inhaling deeply, Kaiba realized his vision had brightened, and he could see clearly as if the sun was overhead.  
Sniffing the air again, Kaiba frowned when he recognized this sickly-sweet scent as Miyu.

He couldn't bite into his dog.  
That would be wrong.  
…Right?

A crow cawed above his head, and Kaiba's head snapped upwards, his gaze fixating on the bird.  
It was…too small.  
He wanted a satisfying bite, and that was only something a larger animal could provide.

Annoyed, Kaiba scaled his garden fence with ease and jogged off his property at a solid pace, fully aware that he wasn't clothed, but a part of him didn't care. If anyone dared to cross him, he would just…bite them. Simple.

His feet hit the cement of the road quickly, and Kaiba glanced down to marvel at his own strength. This was great! If he felt this way every day after consuming animal blood, Kaiba vowed he wouldn't stop.

The sound of wheels rushing over pavement approached quickly, and Kaiba froze, suddenly feeling very exposed. He was in the middle of the road, and the person driving by would see him. Eyeing the bushes in the distance, Kaiba made a beeline for them, ignoring the branches that poked into his skin.

The car passed by in a deafening rush, and he winced at the loud noise.  
Fuck cars.

Emerging from the brush, Kaiba continued on his way, his gaze nailed to the bright buildings of Domino city in the distance. Buildings meant people—people who owned delicious animals, ready to be eaten.

Smirking triumphantly to himself, Kaiba tensed excitedly, gathering his energy for one large burst. After rocking back on his heels several times, he launched himself forward with a furious leap, his feet hitting the ground rapidly as he sprinted at full speed towards the city.

His heart pounded viciously in his chest, and his breathing grew shallow with effort. Blinking rapidly, Kaiba tried not to panic when he realized his vision was fading, and the streetlights above him became a slid blur.  
Wave after wave of new scents assaulted him steadily, and Kaiba pushed himself harder, determined to keep running until he got tired, but every time he blinked, his world would flash in a different color. Red. Blue. White.  
What was happening? Kaiba blinked, seeing green. White. Black.  
Was he going to faint?  
His vision flashed white and then green again.  
Strange outlines of pink and yellow zipped across his eyes before everything faded.

Black.

* * *

Yami's eyes shot open when he found himself roughly shaken awake by the manservant.

"Where is Master Kaiba?" Isono asked gruffly, trying not to let the panic seep into his voice. "Did you hear him leave? How long have you been here? When did you come in? Did he let you in and then leave? Why didn't you stop him?!"

Sitting up hastily, Yami pressed the sheets tightly to his bare chest, shaking his head silently, wondering why the human sounded so frightened.

"I'll get your clothes," Isono pressed. "Now tell me where he went!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Yami said guiltily, finally finding his voice. "I'll go out and look for him—"

"No!" The man cried, resting a shaking hand on Yami's bare shoulder. "We can't leave the house. Police reported a large wild animal rampaging around downtown, and several convenience store attendants were mauled before it ran inside the Kaiba Skyscraper. Mr. Kaiba must have gone out to take care of it himself!"

Isono rushed out of the room, sweating profusely while mumbling to himself.  
Such careless behavior from the master. Mr. Kaiba was letting that spiky-haired foreigner wander in and out of their house, which meant that he probably had a key.  
If Mokuba hadn't called for him, he wouldn't have known until morning.

Yami blinked, letting the news sink in before he threw the sheets off himself and dashed to the window, throwing it open and leaning out of it for air, seeing the sun barely rising over the horizon as Isono's words echoed around in his mind.

A wild animal was rampaging around town, mauling people.  
It sounded like werewolf Gaius or one of his idiotic friends had broken the peace treaty. Again.  
There was going to be hell to pay when the identity of this "wild animal" was revealed.

Everyone had agreed on peaceful city life with no murder within the city limits because fear spread easily in tight communities. This mauling incident would be the last straw for Gaius and his pack of ingrates.

Gritting his teeth, Yami placed his foot on the windowsill, thinking he could chance a transformation before the sun fully rose. He could do it. After all, he was well-rested and at full strength.

Crouching down, Yami shivered and closed his eyes, his shoulders hunching as he shrank, letting black feathers sprout all over his body while his feet hooked into scaly talons. Twisting his neck to the side, Yami's eyes watered in pain while his teeth retracted upwards into his gums, and a beak stretched in front of his face.

Letting his breath out slowly, Yami hopping lightly up and down on one leg, stretching his wings gratefully. That had been painful, so this had better be worth it.

Jumping off the windowsill without hesitation, he soared through the air and beat his wings heavily, his gaze fixated on the silvery buildings in the distance.

* * *

**Author's note:  
**  
ohhh snapppppppppp

edited by:taedae

pwease leave a reviewiwewwww!

-Ugli


	7. Chapter 7

Kaiba jerked awake, shivering from the cold. He glanced around frantically, realizing with a shock that he was naked and lying in a stairwell.  
The plaques on the doors looked familiar.  
Wincing, Kaiba slowly got to his feet and dusted himself off, hating how dirty he was.

What the hell had possessed him to run around in public…naked? Well, he wasn't in a holding cell, so that was a good start.

He froze when he saw his own KC logo at the bottom right of the plaque. He blinked rapidly, wondering if he was dreaming or if someone was playing a prank on him.

Confusion blanketed him fully and Kaiba gently eased the door open, looking left and right for any sign of people. There was no one. It seemed it was still early…or late. Kaiba wasn't sure. He had lost all semblance of time.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba raced towards the elevators and hastily slapped his palm against the reader, getting antsier and antsier the longer the car to arrive. When the doors finally opened, he threw himself inside and hugged the corner, hoping no one would see him.

The goal was to get upstairs and get dressed first, appear composed, and then figure out what the hell was happening.

If the prankster was watching him, he would not show any signs of breaking.

Determined, Kaiba dashed out of the elevator on the top floor and locked himself safely in his office. Racking his brain frantically for the last thing he could remember, Kaiba stepped into the shower and hastily got clean.

After dragging his fingernails along his skin, black dirt gathered beneath them, and Kaiba growled, disgusted. What the hell….?

Scrubbing himself furiously, Kaiba recalled getting into the limousine after leaving for work, with the spotted cat in the seat beside him. Was that yesterday? Or had that been several hours ago?  
Why was he back here at the office if he had just left?

Frustrated, Kaiba stepped out of the shower and dried off, not bothering to check his reflection in the mirror. He needed clothes on his body, now.

He slipped a spare suit out of the closet and absently threw the necktie around his neck, not bothering to tie it. His mind was fixated on checking the security cameras.  
That would answer all his questions.

Striding to his desk, Kaiba sat down and stared blankly at the bare surface.  
Where…the fuck…was his laptop?  
He would ask Isono.  
Slipping his hand into his pocket, Kaiba frowned when his fingers met the edge of fabric.  
Damn it. He didn't have his phone either!

A thin sliver of fear trickled through him as he frantically yanked out every drawer and searched them, looking for his phone.

_Maybe I left it at home_, Kaiba thought nervously, picking up the desk phone.

He was beginning to feel very disoriented.

Rising to his feet, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his desk to gaze out over the city, noting that the sun was barely rising. So, he was on time for work, but, where was everyone?

He looked directly down into the street and saw a clusters of police cars all with their lights flashing, surrounding the building completely, and Kaiba's blood ran cold.

People were held off on the sidewalks with red caution tape, and neat rows of men were taking orders from a head officer wearing a purple armband. Animal control…?  
And red tape? Red meant casualties. Had someone died on the sidewalk?

Now thoroughly frightened, Kaiba turned around to snatch up the desk phone, his fingers flying over the keypad as he tapped in Isono's number.

The manservant answered immediately after the first ring, sounding extremely worried.

"Master Kaiba! You didn't go to the office, did you? It's dangerous! Come back, please, let the authorities take care of it!"

"Why is it dangerous?" Kaiba asked emptily, dreading the answer.

"There is a wild animal loose on the streets in the city!" Isono breathed, clearly trying to keep himself composed. "It mauled several people downtown! Police called the house saying it broke through the glass doors of your office building and is now somewhere inside. Where are you, Master Kaiba? Come back this instant. You should be in bed, not—"

Kaiba hung up the phone slowly, his ears humming with a strange sound.  
Was…_he_ the "wild animal" they were referring to?  
No fucking way.  
But that would logically explain why he'd woken up naked and dirty in the stairwell with the lapse of memory.

He lowered his head, staring down at the blank surface of his desk, his mind racing with questions. There was no proof of the wild animal inside unless the authorities got ahold of his camera feeds, and for that, they would need a warrant.

Folding his arms tightly, Kaiba listened intently to the activity happening outside. It seemed they were getting ready to storm the building.

_"…. This entire block will remain closed until we find it! Apprehend the animal on sight. If it attacks, do not hesitate to fire your tranquilizer gun. Natsuhara-san will take Group C around the back. Keep your keycards around your necks. Mr. Kaiba's right-hand man has given us access to the entire building and each key will be accounted for when you return..."_

Forcing himself to remain composed, Kaiba propped his feet up on his desk and tucked his arms behind his head, feigning sleep. He would wait here and insist everyone leave, because deep down, he knew there was no wild animal inside the office.  
No one was here, aside from himself

After several long minutes, he could hear the rapid thundering of footsteps growing closer and closer, until finally, he heard the stairwell door slam, followed by the sounds of many pairs of heavy boots.

"This is it. Top floor, no animal in sight," a man said quietly through his radio, and Kaiba grit his teeth, keeping his eyes closed. "Swipe the key, Hoga-san. This is Mr. Kaiba's office."

There was a soft click and Kaiba braced himself, steadily listening to the shocked gasps echoing around the room.

"M-Mr. Kaiba…!"

Kaiba covered his mouth, faking a yawn before he lazily cracked an eye open, surveying the scene slowly. Five men in protective gear stood in loose formation in the middle of his office, glancing around in confusion while they lowered their dart guns.

"What the hell?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes and stood angrily, clenching his fists as his side. "Who the hell are you? Who authorized you to come in here?"

"We—uh, have permission to find the animal, sir," the man at the front said nervously, his voice muffled by his face mask. "Have you heard a disturbance? Were you here all night?"

"Yes I was, and no I didn't," Kaiba answered stiffly, keeping the annoyed look on his face. "If you've made it all the way up here, I'm guessing you found nothing."

There was an awkward silence as several men nodded, and Kaiba's chest tightened with anxiety, but he hid it well.

"Do you have proof that the animal is inside my building?" Kaiba demanded, stepping out from behind his desk to confront the leader. "How do you know it didn't come in and run right back out?"

"Someone saw it come in!" A man answered from the bathroom, and the leader paled slightly, reaching for the radio hooked to his shoulder. "O-One moment, Mr. Kaiba. Let me ask…"

Kaiba rolled his eyes and leaned against the edge of his desk, watching the man confer with the police on the ground, noticing that his forehead was beaded with sweat.

The stench of their body odor was slightly sour, and Kaiba wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The radio beeped and an answer came quickly. _"Eye-witnesses says she ran away after seeing the animal break through the doors. Is there really no sign of the animal in the building?"_

"We've gone bottom to top. No signs of dirt or fur…sir," the leader answered stiffly. "Mr. Kaiba is here. He was asleep at his desk, says he didn't hear anything."

There was another long, awkward pause while everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for a command from the radio.

_"…Come back down. It must've run out and is still somewhere in the city."_

All five men bowed hastily in unison, mumbling apologies while they filed out of Kaiba's office, and Kaiba watched them go, his heart pounding thickly in his chest.

"Wait!" he called, and the man at the end turned to give him an apologetic look.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?"

"What animal was it?" Kaiba asked, feeling himself sweat. "A deer?"

"No, even stranger than that," the man said shakily. "People are saying it was a wolf."

"A wolf?" Kaiba was unable to hide his surprise, and the man nodded, bowing again, keeping his dart gun at his side while backing out of the room quietly.

Rooted to the spot with mild shock, Kaiba waited until he heard all the footsteps exit the building before he picked up his phone to call for a car.

He needed to get home immediately to investigate this on his own.

* * *

Yami landed gracefully atop a streetlamp alongside a couple other birds, and he ignored them, waiting for the back door of the bar to open.

He didn't have to wait long. The bartender propped the door open and leaned against it, lighting a cigarette.

Yami took this chance to soar down from above and fly right through the door, managing to wrap his claws around the armrest of the ratty office chair inside the back room.

"Hey! Fuck you, crow!" the bartender cried, racing in after him and waving his arms wildly. "Get out of there before you shit on someth—oh…vampire. Which one are you?"

Yami gave the bartender a steely look, flexing his wings arrogantly.

_It's Yami, _he answered steadily with a strong thought_. I'm sure you heard. What did the animal look like?_

"Word sure travels fast," the man said gruffly, flicking ash away from his fingers. "Several beasts have already showed up here, eager to prove their innocence. Is there a meeting? Why do you all have to do it here?"

_Shut up and let me ride on your shoulder,_ Yami replied shortly, kicking off the armrest and landing gently on the bartender's outstretched arm. He inched his way up the man's shoulder while he walked into the bar, and Yami clicked his beak irritably when he saw several familiar faces sitting together at a table.

The tension in the room was palpable.

A vampire with stark white hair and his pack of devoted followers were glowering at the trio of werewolves sitting resolutely at the bar, each with their arms crossed, their beady eyes narrowed with hostility.

"Where is your beloved leader? Are you pups lost, or did Mommy Gaius abandon you?" The white-haired vampire spat, also giving Yami a quick glare. "Nice of you to join us in bird form, Child-feeder."

Yami didn't dignify the insult with a response and he felt the bartender shift uncomfortably.

"He's not our leader. He just calls himself that," a blond werewolf replied angrily, rolling up the sleeves of his high school blazer, looking ready to fight. "And we're not stupid enough to feed on convenience store attendants at 4AM. I got better stuff ta' do, like sleep."

"Are you sure about that?" The white-haired vampire goaded, giving the blond a clawed middle finger salute. "How long have you and your friends been in high school? Ten years? And you still can't graduate?"

The vampires at the table roared with laughter and the blond was turning beet red.

Yami rolled his eyes tiredly. Fighting amongst each other was not the solution but it seemed to happen every time a human was hurt.

"Alright, I'mma kill him!" The blond declared, launching himself off the barstool while his two friends held him back by the arms.

"Joey, stop…that's what he wants!" his black-haired friend cried, fighting against a flailing arm that slipped out of his grasp. "Tristan, are you even holding him?"

"I am, Duke!" The other werewolf insisted nervously, giving the vampires an apprehensive glare while hanging onto Joey with all his might. "We didn't attack the store attendants, and we can prove it… Joey, stop squirming!"

The vampires laughed again while Joey kicked and squirmed against the strength of his friends.

"Lemme at him, Tristan, lemme go!" The blond cried, and his friend clung on tighter.

"No! We can't fight them all and win…" Tristan panted, his grip slipping off Joey's arm. "C'mon dude, lay off."

Yami sighed and shook his head. The white-haired vampire, Bakura, was extremely alpha, which seemed to rub everyone the wrong way.

More vampires filed silently into the bar and took a seat, looking haggard and annoyed.

"Where are the rest of your friends?" The bartender asked, addressing the blond werewolf while he slowly wiped a glass for the lack of something to do with his hands.

"They're not our friends," the black-haired werewolf answered stiffly, adjusting the red bandanna on his forehead. "Gaius took two runts named Rex and Weevil out of the country on a 'training' vacation, so it couldn't have been them."

"Well that's all of us," Bakura rasped, slamming his fist down on the table and counting heads while sweeping his gaze around the dark bar. "All vampires living in the city of Domino are now present, and none of us are stupid enough to break the peace treaty."

Yami nodded. As much as he hated being spoken for, he agreed with Bakura.

"_Your kind_ always fail to show up to these emergency check-ins," the white-haired vampire continued venomously, directing his hostility towards the three werewolves, and Yami could feel dissent crackling in the air.

"Yeah, but we did nothin' wrong," Joey hissed through clenched teeth, his hair standing on end. "So we're leaving. C'mon guys. We're gonna go check on the people in the hospital and make sure they're not sprouting fur. That way you'll really know who bit them."

He dragged his two friends out the door and Yami watched them leave, feeling the tension in the air rising. If it wasn't the werewolves, did that mean it was a vampire?

There was a long silence before a man wearing a purple shirt in Bakura's group spoke up.

"Eyewitness said the wolf was either red or light brown," he said, eyeing the room with suspicion. "Who here has sable-colored fur? We know it wasn't any of the dogs that were just here, so it must be one of us."

"Or…it was someone passing by," the bartender added unhelpfully, setting the glass down with a _clink_. "Anyone care for a drink?"

Several people rolled their eyes and got up to leave.  
Yami stared at each and every single person, taking note of their hair color.  
Everyone from Bakura's clan was either blond or had black hair.  
Everyone leaving also had naturally black hair.

"You're sable-colored, aren't you, Yami?" A woman with sleek black hair from Bakura's group spoke up softly, and Yami tensed.

"He's a sable-colored _cat_, Ishizu," Bakura said idly, twirling his long white hair between his fingertips with a yawn. "I've seen his wolf form and it's nothing special. Black fur all around. We're leaving."

The loud scraping of chairs broke the tense silence and Yami decided he was leaving too. If Mokuba was awake, he was probably looking for him.

"This is going to cause some issues," the bartender muttered, walking through the flaps of the kitchen doors and opening the back entrance for Yami. "We're all going to be on edge until we find out who it was."

_I'll do my own investigating,_ Yami said, giving the bartender a quick nod. _Stay sharp, Smelly._

"I hate that name," Smelly muttered, shooing Yami off of his shoulder with a careless wave.

Yami kicked off the man's shoulder and rose easily into the air, nearly blinded by the rising sun, so he dipped back down low, keeping close to the trees and the shade their branches provided.

Thankfully, the Kaiba property wasn't too far from the bar, and Yami landed gently on a thick branch inside the garden walls. Hopping down to the ground, he ducked behind the tree and shut his eyes, transforming back into a cat.

His talons elongated into five pointed claws, and he bent forwards, feeling his haunches appear steadily beneath the feathers. It was considerably less painful to change from one animal to another. Yami's teeth ached as they came sprouting back, and his hearing increased tenfold.

He could hear the rumble of a car's engine and Mokuba's voice whining at Isono.

_"…But why? You promised! It's just one movie! Please? Please please please let me watch it in the downtown theater with everyone else, please please?"_

Shaking himself all over, Yami reached a hind leg up to scratch at his ear, pleased that his mobility had returned, but now his stomach was beginning to grumble slightly.  
All the transforming was getting tiresome.  
Hopefully he wouldn't need to do that again for a while.

Dashing into the house, Yami bounded over the patio door and into the kitchen, mewing loudly, hoping Mokuba could hear him, because the child was now having a full-blown fight with the manservant.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GONNA GO INSIDE A THEATER AND BITE PEOPLE! IT'S AN ANIMAL!"

"Young master, if you shout at me one more time—"

"What're you gonna do? Ground me? Lock me inside this house forever because that's my whole life anyway?" Mokuba raged, clenching his fists at his sides and storming down the steps. "I HATE YOU, ISONO!"

Yami slinked through the kitchen and froze when he saw a pair of feet rushing straight at him. Then, he was scooped up so fast, his stomach churned.

"Yami! There you are!" Mokuba cried, burning his nose into the cat's fur and biting back tears of frustration. "You can protect me, can't you? Did you just go outside?"

"Young master," Isono approached Mokuba from behind, and Mokuba spun around, holding the cat up high and glaring at him.

"Yami will protect me," the child insisted. "He knows when something is wrong. He protected Seto, which means he can protect me."

_I've gone from 'monster' to 'protector',_ Yami thought mildly, growing dizzy from the rough handling. He gave Isono an apprehensive meow, and the manservant folded his arms, glaring at him.

"And of course, the owner is nowhere to be seen," Isono said shrewdly, feeling exhaustion weigh heavily on his shoulders. "Master Kaiba invites him in, and he walks out without a trace. Mokuba, did you see the spiky-haired foreigner leave?"

"Nope," Mokuba said vehemently, shaking his head. "I'm not telling you anything until you let me go to the movies!"

"The answer is still no," Isono said firmly, and Mokuba stamped his foot furiously.

"Fine! Then I'll ask Seto. He'll say yes," Mokuba snapped, tucking the cat under his arm and storming up the steps into his older brother's room.

Yami shut his eyes, growing dizzier by the minute. Finally, he was set down on the ground and he wobbled dangerously on all fours, seeing Mokuba march up to Kaiba's desk and huff.

"Leave me alone kid, I'm busy," Kaiba said stiffly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the backspace key while he searched intently for footage of the wild animal in his stairwell feeds.

"Isono won't let me go to the movies because he said the lion or the bear is gonna break into the theater and I'll get trampled in a panic," Mokuba recited, crossing his arms across his chest. "Please, Seto? I wanted to see a movie _in theaters_, like outside, not in the downstairs theater."

"I heard it was a wolf," Kaiba replied unhelpfully. "I'm trying to find footage of it, so get lost for a bit. I'll see what I can do about convincing him, okay?"

Yami pricked his ears up. Footage? That was a great way to see who it was!

"Uuuhgggg! I hate you too!" Mokuba groaned dramatically and stomped out of the room, slamming Seto's door loudly behind him to show his intense dissatisfaction.

Yami jumped at the loud noise and winced, letting out a meow in protest.  
That kid was manipulative and explosive.

Kaiba peeked over the edge of his laptop, eyeing the cat. "You. Don't bother me either," and he leaned back to continue clicking through the footage.

Yami bristled at this, and he padded forward slowly, circling Kaiba's calves and purring excitedly. He wanted to be in Kaiba's lap so he could see the footage.

Standing up on his hind legs, he tried to jump up, but to his dismay, he was pushed off or kicked away every time.

Disgruntled and annoyed, Yami let out a furious yowl, pawing at Kaiba's pant legs.

That seemed to annoy Kaiba even further. Yami found himself picked up by the scruff of his neck and deposited in the hallway. The door slammed in his face and Yami sat down on the floor, stunned.

Such cold behavior from Seto and Mokuba! Were they even human?

Meowing angrily, Yami scratched at the door, throwing his shoulder against it, trying to make it known that he wanted back inside.

Instead of Kaiba, the manservant came rushing up the stairs and picked him up gently, petting him on the head with a soft hand.

"There, there, you're hungry," Isono grumbled, walking back down the stairs slowly. "The whole house knows you've been neglected. Stop crying."

Furious, Yami let himself be carried back down into the kitchen while a bowl of fresh milk was slid under his nose. God…dammit!

Upstairs, Kaiba finally managed to find the timeframe where the supposed wolf had broken in, and he held his breath, watching and waiting.

There was a long pause. Nothing happened on the screen.  
He skipped a few minutes ahead and saw a grey blur zip through the front doors of his building and run straight through the glass, ripping through it like it was merely paper.

A cold chill ran down Kaiba's spine as he followed the blur through the building, seeing the wolf stand up on its hind legs to open the door leading into the stairwell.

Hastily switching cameras, Kaiba watched with rising incredulity as the wolf laid down and tucked its head over its tail, seemingly satisfied and tired.

He stared at its sleeping form for five minutes, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. He took this opportunity to observe the wolf, noting that it had light brown fur, and its fluffy tail was streaked with a hint of black at the end.  
It definitely looked like a wild animal.

Skipping ahead, Kaiba watched as the wolf didn't move.  
Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then thirty.

Frowning, Kaiba continued skipping until he saw movement. His eyes were playing tricks on him, because it seemed like the wolf's tail was shrinking into its body, slowly but surely, and its brown fur was disappearing. Pale skin was appearing underneath the fur, and Kaiba sat in rigid horror as he saw himself slowly appear in the screen when the wolf's face melted away.

He was staring at _himself,_ curled up in fetal position at the foot of the stairs with his arm tucked under his head, unconscious and completely naked.

Rewinding the tape, Kaiba watched it again, just to make sure he wasn't going crazy.

He saw fur magically reappear out of his skin and a fully formed adult wolf was shown sleeping lazily with its tail under his chin.

He clicked forward and watched the fur fall away from his skin while his paws turned into hands, and once again, he was sleeping peacefully in human form at the bottom of the stairs.

I-Impossible. What the actual…fuck!

Was that happening just because he drank a black cat's blood? No fucking way, right?

Stunned, Kaiba sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. This completely explained why he couldn't remember anything.

There had to be a way to control this.

First, he had to get rid of the evidence, because this wolf had mauled several people.  
Shit.  
That was his fault.

Consumed by a sudden rush of guilt, Kaiba opened his eyes and hastily searched for the hospital where the victims were being held. He would donate a sizable amount to them as an apology, then visit them in person.

Slamming his laptop shut, Kaiba stood and grabbed his coat, his stomach curling with hunger. No time to eat. He had to fix this shit, whatever it was.  
He could eat after he took care of the people at the hospital.

Yami heard Kaiba exit his room, so he dashed to the front door, eager to follow.

Kaiba felt the cat tagging close at his heels and he glanced down, seeing a pair of angular amethyst eyes glowing hopefully at him. Yami took this chance to force his way into the CEO's consciousness and sent him a command.

_Take me along!_ Yami insisted, circling Kaiba's feet while flicking his tail.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba bent down and picked up the cat, tucking him under his arm and hurrying into the backseat of the waiting limousine.

"Master Kaiba, please come back!" Isono shouted, chasing after the car which was already rolling through the spiked black gates.

Yami peered out the window curiously, giving the manservant a cheery wave with his paw, and he swore he saw steam coming out of the man's ears. Settling down beside Kaiba's leg, Yami purred happily, enjoying the slender fingers stroking his forehead.

Life with this human was quite amusing. There was never a dull moment.

* * *

The car pulled to a gentle stop at the curb in front of the hospital doors and Kaiba was thankful no press was present.

Snatching the cat up roughly, he strode in through the front doors, not caring how ridiculous he looked bringing an animal inside.

He was stopped by a nurse wearing a mask, and he pointed at the cat with his brow furrowed.

"Please leave all pets outside," he said hurriedly with a stiff bow.

Yami craned his neck, attempting to make eye contact with the man to persuade him with hypnosis. If the man could just look at him for two seconds….

"This cat stays with me at all times," Kaiba said evenly, wondering why he was suddenly so attached to the cat. "I'm here to see the mauling victims."

The nurse stood up straighter, his eyes wide with surprise, "Th-They're not ready to be seen, Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba glared heatedly at the man, gripping the cat tighter under his arm. "Are they conscious?"

"Well, y-yes, but its family only for now," the nurse replied anxiously, beginning to sweat. "Are you related to any of the victims?"

"No," Kaiba said bluntly, still gazing intently into the man's brown eyes. "Show me to their fucking rooms. I'm here to pay for their treatment."

Yami blinked, surprised, and the man seemed to mirror his response.

"How very generous of you, Mr. Kaiba!" The man said genially, taking a nervous step back while his fingertips whitened over the edges of his clipboard. "Come with me."

Mildly amazed by Kaiba's sway, Yami squirmed excitedly in Kaiba's grip as he was carried through several hallways, up an elevator, and down another narrow hall.

Several people in wheelchairs stared at him as he passed, and Yami nonchalantly stared right back. The scent of blood and cleaning agent stung his nose, and Yami tried his best not to breathe too deeply.

Kaiba grit his teeth, hating how the entire floor smelled like flowery detergent. What the hell was in the soap everyone was using?

"Here is one of the victims," the nurse said robotically, slipping out a chart from the sleeve by the door. "Her name is Anzu Mazaki and she's a student at Domino High. She was working the counter at Yellow Mart when the animal burst in and attacked her."

"Got it," Kaiba growled, feeling another rush of guilt as he glanced at her chart, hating how they were close in age. "Wait out here until I'm done. No one comes in until I've finished speaking with her."

"Yes sir," the nurse bowed, his eyes strangely glassy, and he moved to sit down on a nearby bench.

Kaiba leaned the door open quietly and slipped inside, hearing the cat meow in his arms, and he hissed at it to be quiet.

Anzu was staring blankly at the TV when she saw the door open, and Seto Kaiba entered her hospital room, carrying a spotted cat in his arms. She pressed a hand to her mouth, suppressing a startled gasp, wondering if she was hallucinating.

Yami stared at the girl and purred loudly, noticing her eyelashes fluttering extremely fast.

"Wh—You're not allowed in here," Anzu said, her ears burning as she sat stiffly in the bed.

"Hear me out," Kaiba said tensely, pulling up a chair and sitting at her bedside. To his dismay, she leaned away and wrinkled her nose, glaring at him.

"I don't know you. What do you want?" She asked coldly, and Kaiba sat silently for a moment, staring at her blanket-covered legs. He hadn't properly thought this through. He was being unusually impulsive today for some reason…

"Hey, I'm talking to you, don't ignore me," Anzu said slowly, staring at the cat with suspicion. "They let you bring in a cat? As a comfort animal? You really are as weird as they say."

Kaiba drew in a slow breath and made direct eye contact, taking in her pretty almond eyes and the neat bobbed haircut which framed her face nicely.

"Tell me what happened," he said evenly. Yami squirmed uneasily in Kaiba's arms, eyeing her blanket-covered feet and at the dozens of tubes running out from underneath it. They were hooked up to another machine that was making a strange humming sound, and he had a nasty feeling all her wounds were below the waist.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Anzu asked haughtily, folding her arms defiantly across her chest, and Kaiba stared blatantly at the bandages covering her entire arm.

"Because…I'll help cover surgery expenses, should you need any," Kaiba said heatedly. The cat let out a sad meow, and he ignored it. "Tell me, and I'll help you."

"Yeah, but _why_?" Anzu felt her cheeks heat up strangely and she looked away nervously, hating how Kaiba's looks were affecting her. The CEO was extremely handsome up close and his aura was unnerving.

"Fine, you don't want my help," Kaiba said angrily. "I'll leave. Shoulder the bill yourself." Then he leaned back into the chair and crossed his legs tightly, waiting for her to speak.

Anzu clasped her hands together tightly atop her lap, her chest tight with uncertainty as they sat in silence for several minutes, with nothing but the beeping of her heart monitor ringing in their ears.

_I guess he's feeling generous_, Anzu thought nervously, biting back furious tears as she nodded and took a deep breath, speaking in a rush.

"I finished my shift and was walking to the door when the animal just came rushing in. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, and it's jaws were clamped around my leg, and I was b-being dragged…."

Anzu gripped the sheets tightly, her voice breaking with emotion.

Kaiba said nothing, his heart beating loudly in his throat as he waited for her to continue.

"I was dragged," Anzu repeated, gathering enough strength to speak through gritted teeth. "…and I got a concussion from hitting my head against the door as it pulled me out onto the sidewalk…and it kept….ch-chewing on my leg. I fainted from the shock and blood loss. I…I'll never be able to dance again. That's what they told me."

Yami blinked rapidly, his heart sinking with sympathy as he watched the girl lower her head and begin to cry softly.  
He meowed sympathetically, hoping it would make her feel better.

Kaiba glanced down at the cat, growing cold and numb all over. He had ruined this girl's future.

"Want to hold him?" Kaiba asked hollowly, already moving to place the cat into her lap, and she nodded tearfully, reaching forward and gathering Yami up in her arms, hugging him tightly to her chest.

Yami winced when her grip nearly crushed the air out of his lungs, but he didn't mind. He licked her hand gently and purred, hoping she would stop crying. He sniffed her tentatively, making sure she didn't smell like the makings of a werewolf, and to his relief, she smelled wonderfully flowery and fresh, like a warm cup of tea on a sunny spring day.

"Can you walk?" Kaiba asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"Yes," Anzu said shakily, sounding very unsure of it herself. "They said I could, after some physical therapy. My…leg, it shattered in…four places. I didn't lose a limb, so I'm thankful for that."

Horrified, Kaiba remained silent and he lowered his gaze, staring at the ground, his mind racing with a mixture of fear, guilt, and confusion. Holy fucking shit.

"Don't pity me, Seto Kaiba," Anzu said, struggling to compose herself. "I'm not your charity case."

Kaiba snapped his head up and glared furiously at her. "I'm not doing this for publicity. I actually want to fucking help. You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

Her mouth fell open and Yami hissed angrily at Kaiba, baring his fangs.

"Oh my god, you're rude _and_ weird," Anzu declared, bending forward to scratch Yami energetically behind the ear with her unbandaged hand. "Kitty thinks so too, right kitty?"

Kaiba sat back in the chair and stared listlessly at her, watching her coo over the cat while her cheeks were still damp with tears. His stomach twisted strangely, and he ignored it.

"And if you really want to help, you should visit my store manager," Anzu added. "I heard he got it worse than I did. I still have my face and upper body."

The air left Kaiba's lungs in a sudden _whoosh!_ when he heard this, and he grew lightheaded.

Yami froze with dread, and after a moment, Kaiba lifted him out of Anzu's arms.

"I'll do that now," Kaiba said stiffly, turning to leave. "Tell the hospital to bill me. I'll take your info from your chart."

"You're invading my privacy, but I guess that's fine because you're rich," Anzu said sassily, and Kaiba felt a smile tugging at the corners of lips. This girl had fire in her eyes and a strong will to live, which made him feel marginally better about her predicament.  
He would come back often and make sure she was recovering well.

Stepping out of the room, Kaiba let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, and he nodded at the nurse who was still sitting on the bench beside the door.

"I'm ready to see the other patient who was attacked," Kaiba said coldly, mentally preparing himself for the worst.

The nurse stood silently and led the way down the hall.

Bobbing up and down in Kaiba's arms with every step, Yami kneaded Kaiba's tie anxiously.  
He wasn't sure his heart could take any more.  
He'd always heard about mauling victims but had never seen one up close, and the normality of the Anzu's personality terrified him.

She was a pretty girl who had a real future, but one freak incident had left her nearly crippled.

Yami felt a rush of gratitude towards the CEO.  
Seto Kaiba was a good human indeed, coming all the way out here to help the victims with their medical expenses.

He clung tightly onto Kaiba's chest while they stepped into an elevator and rode up in silence.

The doors opened and Kaiba felt an eerie chill in the air as he followed the nurse past several closed doors and glass windows. This hallway was different from the one they had just been in. Anzu's hall had the hustle and bustle of life, with people learning to walk using assistance and nurses rushing back and forth between them.

Here, it was just silence.

A couple of families were huddled together in groups with sullen, gray faces, their shoulders hanging from exhaustion and their eyes puffy from lack of sleep.

Kaiba swallowed thinly, fearing the worst when the nurse stopped at a closed door and led them to the nearby viewing window, pointing inside with a shaking finger.

"That is Mr. Tanaka," he said hollowly. "He ran out to chase the wolf away from the girl's body using a broom and was attacked head-on. He's awake but in critical condition."

Yami gaped at the series of tubes hooked up to the man's bedside. His entire body was covered with the sheet, but any inch that was exposed had been bandaged. There was even an oxygen mask wrapped around his bruised face, and it seemed like a machine was helping him breathe.

Horrified, Yami dug his claws into Kaiba's dress shirt, managing to hear a stray thought from the CEO.

_How the fuck do I stop this from happening again?_ Kaiba stood frozen in place, trying to process the scene before him. This man was nearly dead. This was…his fault entirely.

_You can't stop it from happening_, Yami replied sadly, flicking his ears back and forth when he thought he heard a noise.

Kaiba tightened his grip on the cat and didn't reply. The cat clearly didn't understand what he meant. He needed to find a way to control the violent wolf he was apparently turning into, and that thought was terrifying.

A group of odd visitors approached the glass and stood stiffly together in silence, and Kaiba edged aside, feeling the air suddenly grow cold.

Yami cursed silently to himself when he saw Bakura and his gang of vampires hover by the glass, also observing the human, and he sent Kaiba a frantic thought.

_Let's leave, now!_ Yami cried, waving his tail anxiously, but it was too late. Bakura had sniffed him out and was leering at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Nice…pet," Bakura grinned, advancing steadily on Kaiba, and Kaiba stood his ground, giving the white-haired man an appraising stare. He was quite handsome in an eerie way, with almond eyes that seemed slightly too large, skin that seemed a little too pale, and a gleaming smile.

"Back off," Kaiba said firmly, his irritation rising. He hated being approached by strangers, and he hated having his space invaded.

"Not until you tell me where you got that _pretty kitty_," Bakura said softly, holding a hand up to wave tauntingly at Yami.

There was tense silence before a man wearing purple from Bakura's group spoke up.

"At least he's not in a coma. This is not the handiwork of anyone we know."

"Shut up, Marik," Bakura hissed, not taking his eyes off of Yami, who stared angrily back at Bakura.

Yami looked away haughtily but not before he caught a message from Bakura.

_"I see you've found yourself a Host."_

Kaiba heard this too, and his blood ran cold when the spotted cat in his arms responded with equal hostility.

_"Fuck off, you white-haired leech," _Yami growled, baring his teeth.

Accepting that he had gone insane, Kaiba held the cat gently in his arms while he turned to walk away, feeling his back burn from the multiple stares coming from the strangers.

Yami fumed privately, feeling Kaiba wrap his arms tighter around his body as they hurried out of the hospital unnoticed. The limousine was waiting curbside, and Kaiba quickly ducked into the backseat, losing his balance slightly when the car lurched forward unexpectedly.

Tense with guilt and confusion, Kaiba sat very still and let the cat's warmth seep into his own body.

Everything was going to be fine. He was Seto Fucking Kaiba.  
Nothing ever got in his way if he could help it.

* * *

**Author's note:**

eek I hope that wasn't too heavy. Kaiba wakes up nekkid and then realizes a terrible truth.

Yami attends a bar meeting with other vampires and then goes on a mini adventure to the hospital with Kaiba to visit the mauling victims.

Edited by taedae

please leave a comment! they are motivating and make me write fAStERrRrRRr FASTER AND MORE AND MORE

love,  
Ugli


	8. Chapter 8

Yami shifted uncomfortably on Kaiba's lap when he felt something buzz under his stomach.

It was Kaiba's phone.

The CEO gave the cat a nudge and it hopped onto the limo floor with a quiet meow before he slid a pale hand into his pocket and pulled it out. It was seeing a text from his secretary.

_"Jet is fueled and ready for you. Enjoy your island vacation with Mokuba!"_

Frowning, Kaiba slipped the phone back into his pocket and folded his arms tightly. All the vacations he'd been forced to take had been unpleasant, so he had no reason to believe that this island visit would be any different.

The limousine pulled around the fountain in front of the Kaiba mansion and Isono came running out of the house, looking harassed.

"Master Kaiba!" the manservant cried, yanking the car door open and seeing Kaiba sitting inside nonchalantly, petting the cat absently with one hand. "You need bedrest! And we need to talk about that foreigner who walks in and out of the house like he lives here—"

"Give it a rest," Kaiba growled, ducking out of the car with the cat under his arm. He hurried up the white marble steps into his home and slipped off his shoes, nearly knocked off balance as Mokuba came rushing at him. His little brother tugged the cat out of his arms and raced up the stairs.

Yami shut his eyes, growing dizzier by the second as Mokuba's sweaty hands locked around his stomach and carried him up the stairs at a rapid pace.

_Slow down, kid!_ Yami growled internally, fighting a wave of nausea as Mokuba ran into his room and slammed the door behind himself.

He was tossed gently onto the bed, and Yami tumbled down across it, his paws landing on the soft bedding.

"Yami…! Did you kill the cursed cat?" Mokuba asked, and Yami blinked, taken aback by this question.

"The gardeners found a dead black cat behind our fence," Mokuba said conversationally, unfazed by Yami's silence. "They said it looked like it'd been killed by another cat. It had to be you. Isono seems to think so."

Yami narrowed his eyes and wondered if he could chance a slight nod.  
The black cat wasn't cursed. He had just been hungry.

"Well? Yes or no?" Mokuba cried impatiently, throwing himself on the bed stomach first and burying his face in his hands. "Also…its unfair how you're spending so much time with Seto. Make him come back earlier from work. Can you do that?"

Yami stretched languidly and curled himself up comfortably beside Mokuba, nodding as he licked his paw aimlessly.

Mokuba propped his head up on his hands and stared at the spotted cat, seeing it look right back at him and nod once without blinking.

"Are you Yami?" Mokuba asked instantly, sitting up so fast, his head rushed. "Change back now! I command you!"

_No way, _Yami thought grumpily, and he shook his head, biting back another yawn. He wanted to take a nap, and then hopefully eat another large portion of grilled fish afterwards.

"What do you want?" Mokuba asked in a rush, his cheeks heating up with determination. "I'll give you something you want if you change into a human for me!"

Yami closed his eyes and briefly contemplated this offer. It sounded mildly enticing, but what could this kid give him that he didn't already have? He already had a comfortable home and an endless supply of grilled fish.

A rough knock sounded at the door and Mokuba jerked his head around to see Seto, easing the door open, looking slightly disheveled and stressed.

"Who are you talking to?" Kaiba wrinkled his nose as Miyu's sickly sweet scent was heavy in the air. "Have you opened a window in here lately? It smells like the dog."

"What'd you want, Seto?" Mokuba asked, hopping off the bed and walking over to give his older brother a tight hug around the waist. "Wanna play with me?"

Yami watched this scene with interest. The older Kaiba gently pried his brother's arms off him and knelt down, cupping his large hands against Mokuba's cheeks, his expression softening with love.

"Pack a bag," Kaiba said hollowly, feeling his throat itch strangely with thirst. "We're going on a short vacation to Pegasus's island for a ribbon cutting."

"No! I don't wanna!" Mokuba whined, crossing his arms and pouting. "I wanna stay home and play Castlvania with you. Can't you go by yourself and come back really fast?"

Kaiba shook his head slowly and pressed a soft kiss to Mokuba's forehead, feeling exhaustion weight heavily on his shoulders.

"No…it has to be the both of us. We'll be back before you know it."

Mokuba's frown deepened as he watched his brother stand robotically and move down the hallway with a strange stiffness.

"Are you…okay, Seto?" Mokuba called after him, sticking his head out the door and seeing his brother give him a casual wave of his shoulder before disappearing into his room.

"Weirdo," Mokuba muttered, shutting his door with a soft click and hearing a meow at his ankles.

"Did he hit his head on the ground?" Mokuba asked the cat, seeing Yami freeze and blink anxiously at him.

_No?_ Yami thought uncertainly. He had sustained a couple broken ribs from Kaiba's fall. He'd been pretty sure Kaiba's head landed on him instead of the ground.

"Okay cuz he's acting weird," Mokuba grumbled, stomping over to his closet to yank out a black duffle bag. He began stuffing clothes into it carelessly, feeling the backs of his hands burn as the cat's amethyst eyes followed his every move quietly.

"What?" Mokuba whirled around, seeing the cat sitting formally atop his bed, poised regally with its tail curled in the air. "Just talk! Can you talk?"

_I can't talk in animal form when I'm not at full strength! _Yami thought angrily, shaking his head furiously and seeing Mokuba sigh in disappointment.

"But you are Yami, right?" Mokuba asked threateningly, tossing the lumpy bag full of clothes dangerously close to the cat on the bed. "Nod your head, dammit!"

Feeling a smile curling on his lips, Yami dipped his head down once, nodding.

Yes, this very clever child had figured him out from the day he arrived in the house. There was no point hiding it anymore.

"Good, finally," Mokuba grumbled, zipping the bag up forcefully and pausing mid-step before he thunked it back down and opened it again. "Do you wanna come on this vacation with us?"

Yami glanced disdainfully at the crumpled clothes in the bag and shook his head quickly. No.  
He wanted the house to himself to nap and eat.  
Why would he want to go on an obviously stressful trip that required air travel?  
He'd always been stuffed in a carrier or put in the holding bay of an airplane, and he didn't want to experience either of those uncomfortable situations.

"Please?" Mokuba begged, kneeling down to toss out several shirts and pants, leaving a huge mess on the floor beside him. "C'mon…you have to come with me to protect us. We're flying into _enemy territory."_

Frowning, Yami wondered what Mokuba meant by that, but the child didn't elaborate.

"It's a luxury jet!" He added excitedly, patting his clothes down and making a soft nest for Yami inside the bag. "Bet you've never been in one of those, huh?"

Now this caught Yami's interest and his ear flicked in response.

Mokuba saw this and smiled triumphantly, reaching forward to scoop Yami off the bed and depositing him inside the duffle bag amidst the clothes.

"Okay, now, no mewing and don't move," Mokuba pressed a finger to his lips and slowly began to zip the bag up around Yami's body. "I don't think Seto will let me bring you along if he still thinks you're 'Yami's cat'."

The sides of the bag were closing up fast around Yami's body and he rested a paw nervously against the zipper's edge. If he was going on this trip with Mokuba as his so-called protector, shouldn't he receive his own clothes back in return?

Mokuba's chubby finger poked his paw back inside the bag, and Yami stuck his paw out insistently, meowing softly.

_My clothes!_ Yami thought loudly, hoping he had enough strength left to communicate with the child, and to his relief, the sides of the bag dropped down as Mokuba leapt to his feet and looked excited.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that," he apologized before dashing out of the room and leaving Yami sitting awkwardly inside the bag.

Listening to the sounds of footsteps thumping down the stairs, he heard Mokuba speak.

"Oops! Sorry Seto, didn't see you there."

Kaiba edged to the side to let Mokuba dash down the stairs, looking oddly excited to be packing for the trip.

Sighing, he tightened his grip over the glass of water and slowly made his way back into his room. Taking a deep draft, he expected the scratchiness in his throat to vanish, but to his annoyance, the water only made him thirstier. Frowning, he set the empty glass down on the nightstand and gazed at his bed, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

_I'm all messed up_, Kaiba thought restlessly, throwing himself down on the bed and closing his eyes for a moment. He drifted off lightly, trying to stave off the headache that was pounding at his temples and the tight curl of hunger low in his stomach.

Turning over onto his side, Kaiba could feel his heart racing rapidly in his ears as he stared blankly at the window. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. He was hungry, but food tasted horribly bland.

All of these strange symptoms were irritating, but they weren't as concerning as the footage of himself transforming into a wolf while unconscious.  
He had to figure that out first.

_What if I unknowingly hurt Mokuba?_ Kaiba thought nervously as a pang of fear shot through his chest, but he laid still, listening to Isono scold Mokuba in the other room about making a mess while packing.

His hearing had improved greatly, and so had his sense of smell. Everything was peachy if he could just figure out what the fuck was wrong with himself, because clearly, a doctor wasn't going to give him any real answers.

The door swung open and Isono bowed stiffly, freezing in shock when he saw the master lying lifelessly on the bed, looking deathly pale.

"Master Kaiba—!" Isono almost tripped on the rug when he rushed forward to rouse Kaiba, but to his relief, the master was awake.

Sitting up with effort, Kaiba gave Isono an apprehensive look, wondering why his manservant looked so panicked.

"What's wrong with you?" Kaiba asked heavily, biting back a yawn and palming his face tiredly. "Mokuba is being messy. Nothing new."

"N-No…are you…I mean, how are you feeling?" Isono stammered, clasping his hands in front of him and inspecting Kaiba's complexion fearfully. "Have you eaten? I'll prepare the multi-vitamins and meal for you to take along—"

"Don't," Kaiba cut across Isono and got up off the bed, dragging himself to the door and staring blankly at a spot on the floor that was glowing oddly at him. "I'm not hungry for food. I'll eat on the plane. Take care of Miyu while we're away."

Ison blinked rapidly and bobbed forward respectfully, noticing Kaiba zoning out again.

"Master Kaiba?"

He watched as the tall CEO knelt and brushed his hand over a spot on the floor, looking oddly entranced by it.

"Did you spill something here?" Kaiba asked absently, feeling the strange urge to lay down on the glowing patch of floor. It was also emanating a strange heat.

"No, the floor is clean," Isono answered formally, and he watched Kaiba compose himself, stand, and give him a stiff nod before exiting the room.

Kaiba shrugged off Isono's strange behavior and saw Mokuba waiting at the bottom of the stairs, carrying a lumpy duffle bag awkwardly at his side.

"Ready!" Mokuba chirped, his large grey eyes following Seto's slow movements out the door. "Are you tired, Seto?"

"Yes, I am _very_ tired," Kaiba responded quietly, easing himself into the waiting limousine and letting Mokuba climb in beside him with a bright smile.

They drove off in silence, and Yami crouched down inside the bag, listening intently to Mokuba's thumping heartbeat as the child clutched the bag close to his chest. Craning his neck forward, he wondered why he couldn't hear Kaiba's heartbeat too.

Chalking it up to road noise, Yami closed his eyes and decided to take a nap to conserve energy. These humans were always traveling, and he was safely concealed inside a bag. All was well.

They hit a small bump in the road and Yami got jostled inside, feeling Mokuba's sweaty hand steady him on the side of the bag and laugh awkwardly.

"What, kid?" Kaiba frowned, draping his arm over Mokuba's shoulder and pulling his brother close. "I thought you didn't want to go. Now you're all excited."

"I'm happy I get to spend time with you," Mokuba answered cheerfully, and Yami felt his heart clench strangely.  
These brothers really had a close bond….

"Yeah, me too kid," Kaiba smiled warmly at Mokuba and ruffled his hair lightly, catching a deliciously savory scent wafting upwards that made his mouth water.

Blinking in surprise, he leaned down to give the top of Mokuba's head another tentative sniff, and was thrown by the overpowering scent of buttery potatoes and…grilled chicken?

Mokuba smelled…like a whole meal.

Was it his shampoo?

Intent on discovering what it was, Kaiba leaned his head down further, burying his nose into Mokuba's hair and taking a deep whiff.

Inside the bag, Yami bit back an annoyed hiss as he was jostled roughly on Mokuba's lap again. Sleep was going to be impossible.

"S-Stop…you're being weird!" Mokuba shoved him away playfully, and Kaiba's head swam with grogginess, his stomach gnawing painfully, almost asking him to take a bite.

His mouth was watering.  
His ears were ringing.  
His vision was blurring rapidly.  
Mokuba's scent beside him was so…delicious….

_What is wrong with me?_ Kaiba jerked back, berating himself, gripping his knees so tightly, he felt his nails scrape painfully into his skin through the fabric. _I'm thinking about eating my little brother!_

"We've arrived," the driver announced, and Kaiba hastily climbed out of the limousine, eager to put distance between himself and the enticing scent of Mokuba's shampoo.

Taking long strides, he climbed the jet's pop-out stairs in two steps, hearing Mokuba call out behind him in dismay.

"Wait for me, Seto!"

Yami grit his teeth and dug his claws into the clothes underneath him as the bag swung dangerously left and right. Mokuba was so rough. If he wasn't an immortal cat, he'd have been jostled to death already.

Mokuba's footsteps clattered up the hollow metal steps leading onto the plane, and to his relief, the bag was set down onto something soft.

"Seto?" Mokuba slipped the bag strap off his shoulder and rushed to sit beside his older brother who was already seated in one of the large plush seats with his head in his hands, looking exhausted. "Do you need medicine for a headache?"

Kaiba frowned heavily and rubbed his brow, hating how his stomach churned with hunger in sync with the beat of his heart. If he had a headache, it was trumped by the painful curling in his empty stomach. His chest tightened when he caught another whiff of Mokuba's potato-scented shampoo and he grit his teeth, his mouth watering rapidly again.  
Shit….  
It had to be the animal blood that was making him act like this.  
He had to stay away from Mokuba until the urge subsided.

"Leave me alone for bit," Kaiba said stiffly, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "Wake me up when we get there."

"Okay…" Mokuba frowned and hurried away, back to the front of the plane where he had first left Yami.

Patting the sides of the bag gently, he bent down and whispered through the folds, "Yami? I think it's safe to come out now."

Yami bit back a yawn and curled up against Mokuba's pants inside the bag, content with the warmth and darkness. He didn't care either way.

Sitting stiffly down beside the bag, Mokuba heard the engines rumbling outside his window and he peered out through the glass, seeing the ground rushing underneath them rapidly as the jet raced off the runway.

"Wanna see us take off?" Mokuba asked hopefully, tugging at the bag's zipper, feeling slightly lonely. "Seto's asleep. Play with me."

To Yami's annoyance, light flooded the bag as Mokuba opened the top and gently lifted him out, holding him up against the plane's rounded windows for him to see the scenery whizzing by in a blur.

"Look!" Mokuba insisted, feeling the cat's weight slip in his arms. "C'mon…you're no fun."

_Yes, yes, very interesting_, Yami yawned visibly, baring all his sharp teeth for a second before closing his mouth slowly. _Now put me down._

"We're going to a place called Pegasus's Island," Mokuba continued, setting Yami down into his lap and stroking his head lovingly. "The only cool thing there is the castle. There's also a beach, but the trails leading to it aren't maintained. You basically have to climb over prickly bushes to get there."

Yami waved his tail lazily to acknowledge that he was listening. He did think it was strange that there were no other adults on the plane aside from the older Kaiba, but he pushed his questions aside as tiny fingers began scratching him enthusiastically behind his ears, so Yami closed his eyes happily, purring.

"Look! Sky!" Mokuba said warmly, poking his finger at the window again. "Yami, look…!"

Biting back a sigh, Yami cracked an eye open and nodded. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Mokuba. He was a good kid, but he seemed…. lonely.

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, with nothing but the roaring of the plane's engines filling the air around them.

"Are you bored?" Mokuba prompted, looking at Yami with wide eyes. "Do you wanna play a game with me? I brought my tablet."

Yami hopped off Mokuba's lap and into the seat beside him, watching him pull out an electronic pad from a fold inside the bag and hold it up excitedly.

"Ta da! I downloaded Castlevania on here," the child said proudly, placing the pad onto the seat and tapping it rapidly, causing it to light up. "Let's brawl! Just swipe with your paw or something."

Yami stared doubtfully at the game loading on the pad, his interest waning. He had wanted to nap inside the warm, dark bag.

Faking another yawn, Yami settled down into the plush leather seat and closed his eyes, flicking his tail slowly at Mokuba, hearing the kid whine.

"Awww man, come onnn," Mokuba grumbled, tapping at the pad and making his character do an artful flip on the dungeon platform. "Please, Yami…pleeeease…or maybe you can change back now so you can play with regular hands?"

Yami waved his tail lazily, giving Mokuba a solid glare that said, '_I want to take a nap' _and he froze when he thought he heard a man's voice float through the cabin.

_"…Just the two of them…. Yes, both brothers are on board…. Yes sir."_

Sniffing the air tentatively, Yami thought he smelled the sour stench of sweat…and fear.  
He couldn't be sure.  
He had to be sure…because there was a bad feeling that had been niggling him at the back of his mind, and it wouldn't go away until he figured out what was causing it.

Mokuba noticed Yami's behavior shift instantly, and he reached out to pet him on the head, letting out a yelp when the cat bit him in the soft curve of his hand, drawing two small pinpricks of blood.

"OW!" Mokuba growled, giving Yami an angry glare. "Use your words! You don't have to bite me!"

Yami let his breath out slowly, his world brightening steadily as he received a spurt of energy from Mokuba's blood. His hearing sharpened so much that even the high-pitched electronic whine from the pad made his head spin.

Slapping his paw down onto it, he hissed, and Mokuba snatched the pad away, understanding instantly.

"Okay, you don't wanna play this game with me, I get it," Mokuba snarled, switching the pad off and stuffing it back into the bag. "I hate you." He crossed his arms and huffed, looking quite hurt.

Yami meowed apologetically, but Mokuba turned away to look out the window, the tips of his ears red with frustration.

_"The kid is talking to a cat he smuggled onboard. The older one is asleep in the back."_

_Who is talking?_ Yami thought frantically, jumping onto Mokuba's lap and staring up into his face, grateful for the energy he received from the blood. _I'm sorry I bit you, but now I can talk, see?_

Mokuba unfolded his arms slowly and looked a little less angry.

"Fine, but I don't forgive you yet," Mokuba said brattily, rubbing his hand gently. "That hurt, you know. So, does drinking blood give you power?"

_I can tell you later_, Yami thought rapidly, giving Mokuba's legs an urgent knead with his claws. _You're in danger. There's someone on the phone…talking about you. Let's look around._

Mokuba leaned away from the window, looking surprised. "Okay. Let's wake Seto."

_No, we don't need to!_ Yami thought nervously, but he was already picked up by the waist and carried down the aisle.

Suddenly, the ground tilted violently, throwing Mokuba off balance and Yami found himself suspended in the air for a moment before he landed painfully, stomach-first on the armrest of the nearest seat.

The wind was knocked out of him in a sudden whoosh and he heard something crack.  
It sounded like a rib.  
Damn…his ribs were always breaking whenever he spent time with these humans.

Wincing, Yami struggled to catch his breath as he saw Mokuba slowly get up on his knees, pressing a hand to his head, groaning. The plane rocked dangerously to the other side, and Mokuba cried out in fear, clinging onto the armrest Yami was draped over.

"Wh-What's happening?" Mokuba cried, his fingers slipping with sweat as he tried to hang on.

Yami didn't answer, closing his eyes as he focused on healing himself.  
He was no use to Mokuba if he couldn't move.

"Yami…open your eyes—SETO!" Mokuba shouted as the plane began plummeting downwards, his voice barely audible over the whine of the failing engines. "SETO?!"

Twisting his head around, Mokuba saw his older brother lying lifelessly on the ground with a small trickle of blood running from his temple which was seeping steadily onto the floor. It seemed Seto thrown from his seat because he was unsecured while napping.

Terrified, Mokuba struggled to stand as Yami slid weakly off the armrest and onto the floor. The plane was still nosediving, and the entire cabin was rumbling and shaking. A loud clatter sounded from above as oxygen masks swung down from the ceiling, and Yami finally managed to heal the cracked rib enough for him to move without pain.

The warm, savory scent of blood was now heavy in the air, and Yami scanned Mokuba's body up and down, noting that the child wasn't bleeding…so, that had to mean someone else onboard was hurt.

He dashed down the aisle, aiming for the pilot's cabin, his eyes burning with fury as he threw himself against the door.

"Y-Yami...?!" Mokuba yelled, following unsteadily as his stomach swooped horribly as they continued to fall out of the sky. Finally reaching the small door leading to the cockpit, Mokuba shouldered it open, horrified to see the pilot slumped forward in his seat.

A dark mass of blood matted the man's black hair at the back of his head, and Mokuba froze in fear, his heart thudding rapidly in his throat when he realized the man had shot himself in the head.

A gun was hanging limply from his hand at his side, and Yami didn't hesitate to bite down on the man's hand, feeling a thick rush of blood fill his mouth.

He wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he had to resume human form to help Mokuba.

Weak at the knees, Mokuba slid down into a sitting position on the floor, hugging his legs and rocking back and forth, trying to ride out the horrible waves of nausea consuming him as the plane continued its horrifying decent through the empty sky.

"We're going to die…." Mokuba whispered into his knees, feeling tears welling up painfully in his eyes as it was getting harder to breathe. "We're going to die…!"

A cold hand rested on his shoulder and Mokuba jerked his head up tearfully to see who it was, hoping it was Seto, but to his mild annoyance, it was Yami, fully naked and looking unusually calm.

"What do we do?!" Mokuba cried, hugging Yami's bare leg tightly as he tried to keep himself from crying. "Help us! Help Seto!"

_There's no time!_ Yami thought frantically as he gazed incredulously down at the child, wondering why Mokuba was asking him to help his older brother when he himself was clearly in the same situation. He had seen the older Kaiba slumped over on to the ground earlier and had decided it would be better to stay with the child who was still conscious.

The ground was approaching fast, and Mokuba's eyes widened, seeing the tops of trees graze the nose of the jet, and he squeezed his eyes shut, suppressing the tight sob that was wrenching its way upwards out of his body.

This was it. This was the end.

Cold arms circled his body and picked him up, carrying him unsteadily through the plane and Mokuba opened his eyes slowly, seeing Yami bent over him, intently strapping him into the seat.

The buckle clicked into place and Mokuba gripped Yami's hand tightly, tears flowing out of his eyes so much, his vision was blurred, but he saw Yami nod gravely and hurry away to help Seto.

Yami dashed to the back of the plane and knelt down, gritting his teeth as he lifted the older Kaiba off the floor, hastily pushing him into an upright position in the seat, buckling him in. He briefly rested two fingers against the CEO's neck, listening and waiting.

His skin was cold, and a heartbeat was absent.

Dropping his hand down at his side, Yami swallowed the painful lump that was steadily rising in his throat.  
S-Shit…  
Was Seto Kaiba…dead?  
Well, if this was the outcome, he should protect Mokuba with all his might.

He briefly recalled Seto saying he and Mokuba had no parents, and only each other.

The memory made his heart ache as he moved unsteadily down the aisle as the plane jolted powerfully, and a horrible, crunching noise filled the air.

"We're crashing! Yami, we're crashing!" Mokuba screamed, and Yami sprinted towards Mokuba's chair at the front of the plane but lost his footing as the ground disappeared out from underneath him, and he landed on his stomach with a solid _oof! _while his chin scraped against the carpeted floors painfully.

The terrible sound of metal smashing against the trees was ear-splitting as the plane barreled through several tree trunks before it came to a screeching halt, creaking loudly as the side panels split and fell away.

A ringing silence followed.

Shaken, Yami slowly got up on his knees, dusting the stray pine needles off his bare thighs while he carefully registered what had happened.

The plane had landed on its side, and somewhere behind him, the engines were burning, filling the air with a horrible, metallic scent

He heard a hiccupping sob coming from his left, and he glanced around the wreckage, barely able to see anything through the smoky haze. The thick odor of oil, metal, and plastic were heavy, stuffing up his other senses terribly.

Climbing over the leather seats with effort, he saw Mokuba lying limply on his side. He'd fallen on the ground, sliding halfway out of his seat headfirst with his body twisted strangely. He was conscious, and not bleeding.

"I-I…c-c-an't feel m-my…l-legs…" Mokuba whispered, blinking rapidly at Yami who was still naked, looking disheveled but mostly unharmed.

"Okay, don't move," Yami knelt on the metal panel beside Mokuba's dislodged seat, and he reached a shaky hand out to touch the child's wet cheek, trembling all over with distress.

This was…murder. It had to be.

"I can't feel…. I can't feel any-anything!" Mokuba cried, beginning to heave and hiccup. "Is it broken? Are my legs b-broken? Am I—…i-is Seto…?"

"Seto is fine," Yami lied wildly, but Mokuba couldn't be fooled.

"Is he dead?! He can't be!" Mokuba ranted, his eyes fluttering madly as he struggled to keep them open. "Yami…you can't let him die… H-He's my big brother, Yami…."

"Are you in pain?" Yami asked anxiously, throwing a nervous glance over his shoulder when he thought he heard something. "Don't worry about Seto. Worry about yourself. I'll go and get help."

"Doesn't…matter," Mokuba breathed, blinking slowly as his chest heaved. "There's…no point. If Seto isn't alive…I won't live either."

Yami sat back on his heels, trying to stem the rapid wave of emotions welling up inside him as he digested the child's words. These two humans held a deep love for each other.

"H-How are _you_…alive?" Mokuba asked weakly, twitching his fingers at his sides as he stared at Yami's bare knees in front of his nose. "We fell…out of the sky…and everyone is dead except for you…"

"I am already dead," Yami said guiltily, reaching out to touch Mokuba's hand and pressing his fingers in through the child's much smaller hand. "I drink blood to stay alive. It's a horrible, lonely existence."

Mokuba managed a weak smile, slipping dangerously out of the seat sideways as he struggled to speak, "bet it's not horrible if…you have someone you love…"

Yami nodded stiffly, listening to the crackle of the fire roaring at the back of the plane, and he gazed at it fearfully, wondering if he ought to look on the older Kaiba's body….but that would mean he'd have to leave Mokuba's side.

"It's burning…!" Mokuba whispered tearfully, his body slipping further downwards on the broken seat. "Seto's back there, isn't he?"

Yami said nothing. Turmoil churned in his stomach as he struggled with himself.

He could offer to save Mokuba's life but doing so would condemn him to a horrible cycle of blood dependency.  
But…if he revived both brothers…and they would have each other….  
But the older one was already dead.  
Would it be better if both brothers perished from this "accident"?

"N-Nothing… h-hurts…" Mokuba shuddered, curling his fingers around the seatbelt that still held him sideways to the chair. "I guess I am completely…broken…"

"Do you want die?" Yami asked in a rush, gripping his knees tightly as he gazed straight into Mokuba's tearful face. "I can make that happen. It'll be painless."

"No, stupid, I want to live," Mokuba growled, managing to flash Yami a glare. "I want _Seto _to live, and I want to kill whoever did this to us."

"Ah, revenge. What a good motivation to live," Yami said mildly, relieved to see Mokuba smile shakily back at him.

There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other.

In the back of the plane, Kaiba jerked awake when he felt himself sweating profusely.

He twisted to the side, horrified to see flames licking at his knees, slowly engulfing the empty seat beside him. Tips of pointed trees towered over his head in the distance and the side panels of the plane had fallen away, lost in sheets of flames.

Hastily unbuckling himself, he rolled out of the seat and landed cheek-first onto the damp forest floor, weak all over.

Everything hurt. It felt like he had broken something, but he couldn't tell what.

Closing his eyes again, he faded in and out of consciousness as he heard Mokuba's sobs echoing in the distance. Struggling to pry his eyes open, Kaiba realized he couldn't see anything other than an inky blackness that had blanketed his entire vision, and he gave up, going limp as the pain in his legs became too much to bear.

At the front of the wreckage, Yami sat stiffly before Mokuba and cleared his throat, steeling himself to ask, "do you want to be like me? I can also help you live, but everything you do will be different. Do you want that?"

Mokuba's eyes went glassy as he gazed out across the damp forest floor, shaking his head slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Blood will be your only food source," Yami said carefully, feeling the heat from the flames drawing near. "You can't be around normal people anymore, not even animals. The sun will be draining, and—"

"You can turn me into a Castlevania character?" Mokuba interrupted, his eyes glowing with excitement. "C'mon Yami. I love vampire hunters! Yes, I agree! Change me right now!"

"I'm asking you to think carefully first," Yami said gently, biting back an exasperated smile. "This isn't a video game. This is your life."

"Yeah, look at me," Mokuba growled, twitching his hand again. "I think I'm paralyzed from the neck down. My life is over. Give me a new one."

Yami stared deeply into Mokuba's round face, seeing the child struggle to breathe as tears began forming in the corners of his eyes again.

"…B-But if you change me, you have to change Seto too…" Mokuba insisted. "You have to help Seto first. Go and do it now!"

Blinking hesitantly, Yami nodded once and rose to his feet, stepping back into the broken plane to find the pilot's body.

Part of him was screaming at him to stop, to reevaluate what he was doing, but another part of him was possessed by rage and a strange affection towards Mokuba and his older brother. These two humans had been kind to him, and even though they'd only just met, it was clear that they were good humans.

_And this one is a bad human_, Yami thought disdainfully, dragging the pilot's lifeless body out of the seat and through the shattered glass of the cockpit's windshield.

The sweet stench of his blood pooled in the back of his throat and Yami grit his teeth, holding back. He needed to save as much of this man's blood for Mokuba and Seto.

Leaving the man's body a few feet away from the nose of plane, he hurried around the length of the plane to check on Seto when he heard something that stopped him in his tracks.

It was the sound of multiple footsteps, and heavy breathing.

Nervous, Yami dashed towards the nearest tree and hid, listening intently to the footsteps and heartbeats. There were…four people total, and based on the heaviness of their gait, they sounded like grown men.

Mokuba craned his neck, calling out anxiously, "Yami?!"

"The boy is alive, calling for his mother…this way!" A man said gruffly, and Yami froze, daring to peek out from behind the thick trunk and swaying on the spot when he saw a group of men clad entirely in black, standing over Mokuba's body.

A gun pointed down at the child, held by a black, gloved hand, and Mokuba's eyes were so wide, Yami could see the whites all around his pupils.

"N-No…! W-What are you doing?" Mokuba cried, tearing up desperately, and one of the men answered him shortly.

"My job."

Looking away frantically, Yami stared intently at the ground, hearing a shot ring out through the trees, sending a cold shiver down his spine.

What…monstrosity was he witnessing? A group of fully armed men dressed in army gear had come to hunt for the crashed plane and killed the child out of cold blood!

Trying to keep his frantic breathing steadily, Yami decided he would revive Mokuba after all.  
The child's soul would be angry forever because he'd died unfairly.

The boots thumped ominously on the ground as the men circled the plane, searching for the older Kaiba's body.

"Found him!" another man cried, and Yami grit his teeth so hard, he saw green spots.  
Damn…damn, damn.  
In hindsight, he should've checked the wreckage for the older Kaiba before comforting the younger one.

"Dead. Thrown from the plane it seems," the voice said, and Yami heard a shutter click. "One picture of baby Kaiba…and VIP treatment for Seto Kaiba. Heh, this will be his last photo op. Hey, turn his head this way."

A round of snickers echoed through the group and Yami saw red.

He dug his claws into the dirt underneath his bare feet, contemplating ripping them apart in the form of a bear or a wolf, but he held out. If these men were here to report on the Kaiba brother's deaths, they needed to leave this clearing alive.

"Do we need one of the pilot?" someone asked, and he was answered with a gruff, "no, leave him."

Breathing steadily in and out, Yami willed himself to stay hidden as the sound of boots disappeared in the distance.

The crackling of flames licking metal had died down, and somewhere above, a crow cawed loudly.

An animal rustled through the bushes and Yami crouched behind the tree, intent on staying hidden until the men passed by and left.

Standing slowly, Yami made his way back to the wreckage, standing tearfully over Mokuba's body. A thin trickle of blood was coming from a perfect circular bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. His mouth was still half-open in protest, and his once-soulful eyes were glassy and blank.

Feeling sick, Yami circled the plane, searching for Seto's body.  
He only found a disturbed patch of dirt, a pair of pants, and belt with a silver buckle.  
Kaiba's body was nowhere to be found.

_They…took him!_ Yami realized, horror slowly trickling down his body and rooting him to the spot with shock. _That was what they meant by 'VIP treatment'!_

Racing back to Mokuba's lifeless body, Yami freed him from the seatbelt and laid him down on the ground, flat on his back. He heard an awful popping sound coming from Mokuba's body, and he winced. Something in his back was broken, but that wouldn't matter very soon.

Raising Mokuba's wrist to his mouth, Yami closed his eyes and whispered an apology before he bit down and began to drink, counting his sips steadily.

He had to be careful not to drain the body completely.

* * *

**Author's note:**

cliffhanger!  
(edited by taedae)

tell me your thoughts in the comments!

hugs,  
Ugli


	9. Chapter 9

A hot, thick, sweetness rushed across his tongue and filled his stomach wonderfully, and Yami tried not to enjoy it.

After five large gulps, Yami eased off gently, raising his head to gasp for air, his vision pulsing white for a moment as the color brightened in his world once more. Dipping his head down again, he sank his fangs into the same spot, letting the blood pool thinly across his tongue for a few more seconds until he thought he felt Mokuba's hand twitch in his grasp.

Pulling away nervously, he saw Mokuba blink once and slowly turn his head to look at him, his expression eerily blank.

"Yami?"

"Oh good, you remember," Yami let out a tight sigh of relief, his chest still aching with a strange pain he recognized as grief. "You weren't dead for too long, so I don't think you'll have any amnesia."

"I'm…dead?" Mokuba frowned and turned his head up to the sky, his entire body burning with a white-hot warmth. "I don't feel dead. I feel hot."

"That's your body healing itself," Yami said shakily, trying to recall all his knowledge of the newly dead. "I have a meal saved for you too, so, sit up when you can. Then, we can rescue your brother."

"Rescue Seto? Why? Where is he? You saved him, didn't you?" Mokuba demanded, his eyes narrowing as he bolted upright too fast, and he cried out in pain. "OW! Ow, my back!"

Yami ran his hand slowly down Mokuba's back as the child bent over, gasping and heaving. He could feel the bones sticking out oddly underneath his palm, but they were slowly vanishing, moving back to their original place in a straight line.

Swallowing his fear, Yami told himself he'd done a good thing, but he couldn't help feeling guilty. If Mokuba grew to hate his new way of life, he knew who to blame.

"Wh-Where's Seto?" Mokuba gasped, his eyes watering as his back popped into place, and he sat up straighter, his throat growing drier by the second. "I need…water."

"No, you don't drink water anymore," Yami said gently, rising to his feet and walking over to the pilot's body. He picked the body up by the shoulders, dragging it over to where Mokuba was sitting, seeing the child's eyes widen fearfully.

"The sooner you drink, the saner you'll be," Yami said quietly, holding up the man's cold arm. "If you don't want to bite, you can just suck from…here." He waved the man's hand that was still sporting bite marks from his cat fangs.

"I'm not sure I wanna…drink anything right now," Mokuba said, his throat scratching terribly in protest. "I can't. That's the guy who flew us into the ground!"

"Then he'll taste even better," Yami insisted, pulling the dead man's arm closer for Mokuba's convenience. "You said you wanted revenge. Here it is."

Yami waved the corpse's arm half-heartedly again, feeling as if he was a mother bird trying to feed her reluctant baby. The arm was already getting stiff, and he saw Mokuba's eyes darken.

"Not him!" Mokuba frowned, his heart jumping wildly in his chest as he remembered the ugly face of the man standing above him, pointing the barrel of a gun down at him. "The…other guy. Did you see him, Yami? He shot me in the—right here!" Mokuba slowly raised two fingers to touch the dried blood on his forehead, feeling a tiny scab fall away in hand. "Yuck!"

"Wait! Did it come out the other side?" Yami asked frantically, grabbing Mokuba's head and inspecting the back, relieved when he saw a similar bloody hole buried in the child's black hair.

"Ow, let go!" Mokuba struggled weakly, his vision fading slightly as his stomach curled with hunger. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Ge'rroff me, you're still naked!"

"Good," Yami breathed, releasing Mokuba and leaning back on his heels. "If the bullet had healed inside your brain, we'd have a problem."

Mokuba said nothing, tears building horribly behind his eyes.  
He wanted to see Seto.  
Yami had promised to save Seto, so, where was he?

"Drink," Yami encouraged gently, holding the man's arm out to Mokuba and seeing the kid huff and look away. "Mokuba…. you'll turn feral if you don't feed on human blood within the first 24 hours of your death."

"Put on some clothes first," Mokuba said shakily. He didn't want Yami seeing him cry.

"I'll go find my clothes," Yami replied seriously. "And you will drink something by the time I get back, promise?"

Mokuba nodded once, and he kept his gaze fixed on the dead man's collar, hating how the pilot's winged pin gleamed evilly up at him.

Yami sighed and rose to his feet, stepping carefully over broken branches and bits of glass to get back into the wreckage, searching for the bag that contained his clothes.

Mokuba's reluctance to feed was understandable.  
It was a despicable act, and Mokuba was still a child.  
Yami realized with a horrible jolt that he had neglected to ask how old Mokuba was before turning him, but he shoved his guilt aside, telling himself that he'd done the right thing.

After he revived the older Kaiba, both brothers would be united, and they could live happily in each other's company.

Spotting a familiar bag strap wedged under a seat, Yami lifted it up and shook his clothes out, relieved that every piece was there, even his underwear and shoes.

Hastily getting dressed, Yami slung the bag over his shoulder and leapt out of the debris, nearly falling over in shock when he saw Mokuba bent over the man's arm, drinking so enthusiastically, blood dribbled messily down his chin and soaked the front of his shirt.

"He tastes like…potatoes!" Mokuba breathed, pausing for air before he ducked his head back down and biting into the flesh again, his mind humming with excitement.

"I'm sure…" Yami said airily, perching himself delicately on an armrest as he watched Mokuba eat happily.  
He was relieved the child was feeding, but he was anxious now, because this meant he had to provide several quarts of blood for Mokuba until his bloodlust matured fully. The newly dead were similar to human babies in this sense, needing about as much blood as they did milk.

"Slow down and stop when you're full. Don't overfeed," he instructed, seeing Mokuba shake his head stubbornly, keeping the man's arm clamped comically in his mouth.

"Why?" Mokuba asked, forcefully taking another gulp, feeling as if he was about to burst. This guy tasted good!

"Do you think dead bodies grow on trees?" Yami asked gruffly, wondering why he was now starting to sound like a parent. "Save some for dinner and breakfast tomorrow."

Mokuba pulled away from the man's arm and nodded, slowly standing and dusting himself off, wrinkling his nose at the streak of blood on his shirt.

"Can I change?" Mokuba asked, pointing at the bag on Yami's shoulder. "And now that I'm full, tell me where Seto is!"

Yami handed the bag to Mokuba and watched the child change his shirt casually.

He wondered how he could break the news to Mokuba without hurting him, and after a moment of contemplating, he gave up. This kid had a long life ahead of him, and if he couldn't take a bit of bad news, he would never grow stronger.

"Well?" Mokuba prompted, turning his shirt around on his body awkwardly when he realized he'd put it on backwards in his haste. "Where is he?"

"The men who killed you took his body," Yami said solemnly, and he saw Mokuba's face redden with rage.

"Are there vampire rules against killing people?" Mokuba asked immediately and Yami nodded nervously.

"Yes, yes there are," he said sternly. "There are groups of vampires who make sure everyone else upholds the laws."

"Vampire police," Mokuba said perceptively, and Yami bit back an amused smile.

"Yes—" Yami heard a rustle in the bushes and froze, holding his hand up for silence.

Mokuba crouched down over the body protectively, whispering, "what if a bear wants to take my food?"

"It could be that," Yami breathed, hopping off the armrest to pick up the body and dragging it back inside the plane. "Let's hide him in here. I saw a compartment in the back. It's a bit burnt but it'll do."

"'Kay," Mokuba said enthusiastically, bending down to pick up the man's lifeless feet, feeling generally unfazed as he helped Yami stuff the body into the plane's tarnished bathroom.

Yami slid the blackened metal door shut over the body and gave Mokuba an appraising look.

"You're not scared? Disgusted?"

"Nope," Mokuba said proudly, his eyes gleaming with strange determination. "This guy is nothing but dinner to me."

Yami nodded and didn't reply. He had to admire this child's bravery.  
But then again, Mokuba had the luxury of being guided through death.  
Not many vampires had guidance, and many turned feral before they realized what was happening.

"Now let's go get Seto," Mokuba urged, hopping out of the plane's broken aisle and stepping over several large sheets of burnt metal. "His belt!"

Mokuba swept Seto's belt off the ground and clutched it to his chest, glancing fearfully at the puddle of pants in the dirt.

"Why'd they take off his pants?" he asked shrilly, and Yami shook his head gently, leading Mokuba away from the wreckage, feeling the child resist and begin to cry in earnest.

"Yami...tell me why they took off his clothes!" Mokuba whined, beginning to slip into a tantrum. "Did you see them do it? Tell me why!"

"I don't know," Yami replied anxiously, pulling the child away from the clearing and into a thick patch of woods. "Let's be quiet now, okay? We'll find his body and give him proper clothes."

"NO! TELL ME WHY!" Mokuba yelled, and Yami pressed a finger to his lips, his patience running thin.

"I said I don't know!" Yami hissed, giving Mokuba's wrist a tight squeeze. "They probably did it to humiliate him. Humans do horrible things to dead bodies, you know that from reading the news, right? We'll get him back, I promise."

Mokuba calmed down after taking several deep breaths, seemingly having accepted the answer.

"Better now?" Yami asked, beginning to regret changing a child. Death already made people emotional, so changing a still-developing child was dangerous. It would be several centuries before Mokuba even hit puberty….and what then?

"Yeah…I'm…sleepy," Mokuba rubbed his eyes and bit back a yawn. "Potatoes-guy made me sleepy."

"We'll find shelter and rest," Yami replied warmly, leading them through the trees methodically as he searched for cover. "We can't rescue your brother together if you're sleepy."

"…Okay…" Mokuba grumbled, dutifully following Yami through the trees and fallen logs, ducking his head down when a low-hanging branch came swinging his way.

Yami kept his grip tighter around Mokuba's wrist, his anxiety rising higher by the minute as they continued through the forest.  
Doubt plagued him like a dark cloud.  
What if they couldn't reach the older Kaiba's body in time? What If the body had been disfigured, or had rot beyond saving? Then reviving it would only produce horrifying results. That would be cruel and traumatizing for Mokuba. He would be responsible for this child until he "grew-up", at least enough to be self-sufficient and in an adult form.  
Abandoning a child vampire was considered a crime, Yami was pretty sure.  
Most of the children he knew were attached to hostile families who watched over them begrudgingly, counting the centuries until the day the child reached 21.

He wouldn't abandon Mokuba and leave him in the care of other vampires.  
He owed at least that much to Seto Kaiba.

"Yami…. I-I'm…sleepy," Mokuba whined, and he stumbled mid-step, accidentally tripping on a twig that was poking upwards through the dirt. "…Ow…"

"Get on my back, and I'll carry you until we find somewhere safe to sleep," Yami said, bending down and feeling the child lean heavily onto his back. Strong arms wrapped around his neck and clung on tightly, and Yami felt Mokuba's long hair tickle his ear.

Standing slowly, Yami hefted Mokuba on his back and continued trekking through the trees, one ear filled with the child's light snores while the other was sharp, listening for hostile sounds or footsteps.

Mokuba had said there was a castle on this island, so he was going to find it.

* * *

Kaiba slinked through the bushes, following the warm scent of something delicious.

He was dimly aware of his surroundings, but he was controlled by nothing but the curling hunger in his stomach. He had made too much noise earlier, and the animals he'd been preying on had vanished. But there was still hope.

The scent of buttery potatoes was heavy in the air.

Kaiba bounded forward into a forest clearing, nearly running headfirst into a tall sheet of metal.

Growling in annoyance, he slipped in through the oddly shaped rocks, keeping his nose low to the ground, fixated on the savory scent.

It was close…it was…right behind this…door….

Placing his paws against the blackened metal, Kaiba gave the edges several firm sniffs. Yes, the scent of potatoes was coming from behind this burnt door.

Spinning around, Kaiba gave the door a firm kick with his hind leg and saw it collapse inwards.

Hot potato soup spilled out from underneath the door and Kaiba bent down to drink eagerly, relief flooding him as quickly as his stomach was getting full.

_When was the last time I ate?_ Kaiba thought dimly, unable to breathe properly as he continued to drink rapidly without pausing for breath.

Gasping for air and thoroughly satisfied, Kaiba leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, content and stuffed to the brim.

Drifting off lightly, a part of him wondered where Mokuba had gone. If he wasn't mistaken, he'd heard another familiar voice talking to him too.

Unable to stay conscious, Kaiba's head dropped to the side and he fell asleep.

* * *

Yami gently laid Mokuba against a mossy wall of rock, listening to the soft babble of a river several yards away from them.

It was dangerous to be near moving water, but he had to be close enough to human activity to know what was happening without leaving Mokuba unattended.

Sighing nervously, Yami curled himself protectively beside Mokuba and decided it would be better if he was in animal form.

The hostile humans would be hesitant to shoot a scary-looking wild animal napping with a child, but they wouldn't hesitate to attack two humans asleep.

Sitting up slowly, Yami stripped off his clothes and placed them in the bag, making sure to loop the strap around Mokuba's body before he crouched down on all fours and began his transformation.

His skin itched terribly as fur sprouted evenly across his entire body, and his tailbone ached as a tail came sprouting outwards fast, almost too fast. Hissing in annoyance, Yami forced himself to slow down. He'd been too accustomed to morphing into smaller animals, he'd forgotten how taxing it was to change into a larger one.

His fingernails ached as they elongated and sharpened, and Yami raised a furry paw up to his face, inspecting it with satisfaction. Good. He hadn't lost his touch.

Shaking himself all over, Yami tucked his head over Mokuba's lap and closed his eyes, keeping his ears perked just in case.

He knew they were wasting precious hours of time here while Seto's body was rotting somewhere, but he couldn't drag Mokuba along until the child slept for the first time.

Settling down comfortably, Yami closed his eyes, daring to relax. All was quiet, and just when Yami felt himself drifting off, he heard a soft rustle in the distance.

Perking up his ears, Yami held his breath, listening so intently, he could hear the air ringing loudly.

In the trees several yards away, Kaiba ducked behind a low-hanging branch, letting the leaves shield him from view as he stared through the leaves at a small child, defenseless and asleep. But there was a large, black wolf lying beside him with his head tucked on his lap.

This food source was too risky.  
Something was telling him that eating this child would be a bad idea.  
He was too small, and an adult would taste better.

Slinking away through the branches, Kaiba grit his teeth in annoyance. He could go back to preying on the larger humans—the ones that travelled in a pack.

Back at the riverside, Yami let his breath out slowly in a sigh of relief. He heard the thoughts of a hostile animal on the other side of the riverbank, contemplating eating Mokuba. Thankfully, it seemed to have changed it's mind.

The wolf form had worked, and it only proved that this island was growing more dangerous by the second. Once night fell, he needed to get Mokuba somewhere safe.

Closing his eyes again, Yami breathed evenly, keeping his ears perked for any branches snapping in the distance.

* * *

Kaiba woke up groggily, feeling pleasantly warm all over when he cracked an eye open and saw the silvery moonlight shining down across his pale arms.

Rising up from the dirt, he winced at the dark streaks decorating his legs, but was grateful that he was no longer in wolf form.

He sat up and received a horrible shock.

Four mangled bodies were strewn in a messy circle all around him, and Kaiba trembled when he realized he'd been sleeping on a man's muscular leg…which was no longer attached to the body.

Streaks of blood marred the trees around them, along with multiple deep scratches, looking like they belonged to a wild animal.

Shaking and shivering with fear, Kaiba realized that_ he_ was the wild animal that had gone on a rampage and killed these four humans!  
Again! It had happened again!  
And he had no fucking memory of it!  
Who were these guys? Army men?

Inching away from the disembodied leg he'd been using as a pillow, Kaiba grimaced and patted his hand up the shredded fabric of the leg, finding the square-shaped wallet thankfully still inside the pants pocket. Disgusted with himself, Kaiba flipped the wallet open but there was nothing identifying the man aside from a plain metal keycard and several thousand yen in cash.

Tossing it aside with a growl, Kaiba rose to his feet and methodically checked the bloody body parts for the men's identities. One man either didn't have a wallet or it had been lost in the violent rampage.

Were any of the clothes salvageable enough to be worn?

Kaiba grit his teeth and fluidly undressed one of the muscular men who was the least mangled, hating that the clothes were all blood-stained, but mostly in one piece.

They fit him a little too well because of his height.

The dried blood on the shirt clung stubbornly to his chest, and there was a horrible stench coming from the pants, which Kaiba discovered was urine. H-How…pleasant.

Yanking the boots off another lifeless body, Kaiba stuck his feet in them and decided he'd look for a river because he vaguely remembered passing one by. Being clean wasn't high on his list of priorities, but damn, the pants smelled like shit.

Also, where was Mokuba? And the plane?  
At least this rampage didn't happen in the city like last time.

Stepping over a headless torso, Kaiba's heel crunched down on something hard, and metal, so he bent down to inspect it, frowning when he realized it was a gun.  
Did these men try to shoot him? Because it didn't work.

Kicking it aside, Kaiba decided he would take the man's wallet after all and fill it with the money he'd scrounged up from the others. He needed a fucking miracle to get out of this without questions. First, he needed to figure out where he was.

Walking several more steps out of the clearing, Kaiba saw the flash of a cell phone half-buried in the dirt from the scuffle, and he raced towards it excitedly. He needed to call Isono to get him the fuck out of here.

Picking it up from the dirt, Kaiba hissed in annoyance when he discovered it was an old flip phone that could barely grab a signal. These army men used disposable phones. Great.  
His toaster was more high-tech than this brick.

Tossing it aside, he continued on his way, listening intently for the sound of running water. He could hear it…he just had to follow it….

* * *

Yami perked his head up when he heard a branch crack in the distance, and he turned to give Mokuba a nudge with his snout, pleased to see that the child was already awake, but he was staring off into space.  
Classic new-blood behavior.  
Mokuba had just died, so he was probably having trouble coming to terms with it.

Another branch cracked, louder this time, and Yami got up on all fours, shaking himself off, preparing to transform back into a human.

Time to go. Someone was coming.

He could feel Mokuba's gaze burning into him as the fur shrank painfully back into his skin, and his tail retracted slowly while his spine popped and grew.

Mokuba watched in open-mouth horror as the wolf's beautiful face turned ugly for a moment when human features began to emerge from underneath, and before he knew it, a very naked and slender man was standing in front of him.

"My clothes…someone's coming!" Yami whispered hoarsely, and Mokuba obeyed without question, looping the bag off his body and handing it over.  
Digging out his clothes, Yami hastily got dressed and held his hand out for Mokuba to hold, seeing the child stare at it for a moment before nodding and grabbing onto him.

The moment the child's fingers wrapped around his, Yami tugged Mokuba forward and they raced off through the trees together at top speed, with the wind billowing through their hair and clothes as they leapt over low-hanging branches and mossy logs.

Mokuba blinked rapidly, trying to take it all in, but it was a bit too much. They were…running, fast. Too fast. Everything was a blur around them, and there was a strange smell…a sickly-sweet smell….

They skidded to a halt in a clearing, and Yami instantly reached down to cover Mokuba's eyes when he saw the carnage strewn before them. It looked like a giant animal had mauled a group of humans to death, violently, and without mercy.

"Leggo! I wanna see!" Mokuba hissed, struggling to pry Yami's hands off his face while he panted, gasping for breath. "What is it? A dead bear?"

Setting his jaw, Yami slowly lowered his hand to let Mokuba gape at the four, dead army men lying scattered on the forest floor in various pools of dark blood.

"That's the guy who shot me in the head!" Mokuba cried angrily, letting of Yami's hand and racing over to the man's legless torso.

"FUCK YOU!" he shouted, kicking the man in the ear, and the head remained stiffly in position, indicating that the men had been dead for more than a few hours.

"That's enough…you'll get blood on your shoes," Yami said sternly, pulling Mokuba away from the bodies, but the child was incensed, continuing to berate the dead body.

"You're lucky you got killed, c-cuz I w-would've gotten you otherwise!" Mokuba sobbed, stamping his tiny foot down on the man's face, and Yami bit the inside of his cheek, wondering how much of this behavior was acceptable.  
He could hear the crunch of the man's nose breaking.

"Stop that," Yami growled, picking the child up by his armpits and swinging him over his shoulder while Mokuba's legs thrashed and kicked in protest. "Did you forget? We need to find Seto."

Mokuba stilled and hung limply over Yami's shoulder, tears burning underneath his eyelids as he let out a strained sob.

Those men…were buttholes! They had taken Seto's body, and now they couldn't find out where because they were dead!

Yami gave Mokuba a reassuring pat on the back, feeling the child tremble in his grasp and remain silent.

Sighing sympathetically, Yami stepped over another broken log and continued onwards, following the sound of voices he thought he'd heard, several miles away. The priority now was to get Mokuba to safety, because he had a budding vampire on his hands.

* * *

Kaiba drenched himself in the river from head to toe, shivering incessantly and cursing.

He scrubbed at his skin, trying to get the blood and dirt out from underneath his fingernails. God…damn this fucking…. shit.

Streams of dried blood were wafting off of his clothes and tinting the water, and Kaiba hastily wrung out the shirt, wrinkling his nose at the metallic scent. New things he was learning: old blood smelled gross, fresh blood smelled like potatoes.

There was a loud rustle on the other side of the river, and Kaiba froze, scanning the area and seeing nothing. Fuck this place. Time to get the fuck out and safely back home.  
Mokuba must be wondering where he was.

* * *

Yami set Mokuba on his feet at the edge of the clearing, and they watched a line of people boarding a giant cruise ship at the edge of the water.

"You think they put Seto on there?" Mokuba asked timidly, wondering why the grass was different here. "This might be part of the resort that we had to ribbon-cut for. See? The grass is fluffy. I think I remember us picking types of grass, and this was one we chose."

"What?" Yami replied absentmindedly, his mind filled with schemes on how to get aboard without being seen. He didn't have the energy to entertain Mokuba in silly conversations about picking grass.

"Never mind," Mokuba grumbled, realizing that Yami's eyes were narrowed at the two men in suits who were scanning everyone's wristbands with their phones. "What if we just walk up there and tell them to let me on because I'm Mokuba Kaiba?"

"You're supposed to be dead, remember?" Yami asked lightly, resting a gentle hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "When they find out you're alive, what's stopping them from trying again?"

"Uh, I dunno, maybe the fact that I'm immortal now?" Mokuba raged, and he received a soft smile from Yami.

"You're not invincible, there's a difference," Yami said ruefully, thinking there was a lot of educating he needed to do before Mokuba truly understood. "You have to stay alive to remain immortal."

"You just called me 'dead', so make up your stupid mind," Mokuba grumbled, crossing his arms in a huff, and Yami glared sharply at him.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll leave you here," Yami admonished, wondering how constructive this threat was. "Please behave, and we'll find Seto soon enough."

Mokuba grit his teeth and said nothing.

"I've got it," Yami said slowly, straightening up and smoothing his clothes down. "When the last person boards, we will accost the two guards and overpower them, mentally. They'll forget they ever saw us, and this will be a nice lesson in 'pressuring'. Understand?"

Mokuba blinked and nodded, his heart racing with excitement. "Mind-wiping," he said eagerly, and he earned another exasperated look from Yami,

"It's more like Mind-changing," Yami corrected gently, watching the line of people thin out. "Get ready. Don't break eye contact, and don't be too demanding."

Mokuba held his breath and felt Yami reach down to give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"What if they recognize me?" Mokuba asked, panic washing over him in a sudden wave, and he tugged on Yami's hand. "Can you do it? I don't wanna do any brain washing!"

"Very well, then all you do is watch," Yami said kindly, using his other hand to pat Mokuba on top of his head. "Ready now?"

Mokuba shook his head briefly before he stopped and nodded just a fraction of an inch.

He took a deep shuddering breath and let Yami lead them out of the clearing and towards the two guards who were talking to each other at the base of the ramp.

Yami strode confidently up the ramp, and Mokuba's hand grew sweaty in his when the men yelled out behind them, "Hey! Wait a minute!"

Slowly turning to face the men, Yami gave each of them a calculated smile and made eye contact as he spoke, "You've already checked us."

Mokuba's hand tightened over his fingers painfully.

"We did? No we didn't," the man on his left said, and Yami hastily turned to give that man more heavy eye contact, listening to the steady beating of his heart.

"Yes, you did," Yami said deeply, seeing the man's eyelids droop ever so slightly. "You've had a long day. Maybe you both…need to rest."

Yami aimed a steely glare at the other guard on his right and saw the man waver on his feet, immediately looking worn out and drained.

"Y-Yeah, I am…frickin' tired, man." The guard on his left yawned, and Yami felt Mokuba's hand loosen around his.

"Up you go. Hurry up. I want a nap," the guard on his right insisted, pointing impatiently at the glowing door above their heads. "Stop lookin' at me and go!"

"Thanks," Yami said blithely, and he strode upwards into the ship. Mokuba followed him on trembling legs, unable to believe they had just lied their way onto the ship...almost too easily. This totally explained why vampires were considered 'masters of evil'!

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mokuba leaned against the wall of a hallway, seeing Yami peering around and eyeing the golden doors of various suites with an air of excitement.

"Should we get a room?" Yami asked, talking more to himself. "I'd like a proper bath after all of that excitement, and maybe some human food after you do your first change in private. What do you think, Mokuba?"

"My first what?" Mokuba asked blankly, now starting to feel sleepy himself while his stomach growled lightly. "I'm…tired and…hungry."

_Uh oh_, Yami muttered to himself, grinding his teeth. Time to find food on this ship.

"First, we'll get a room," Yami said, and he saw Mokuba nod and slide to the ground in an undignified sitting position, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Baby vampires…were so…troublesome!

* * *

Kaiba walked quickly along the beach, his gaze nailed to the cruise ship docked in the distance. Fuck. He was going to miss it. The ramp had been pulled up moments ago, meaning the anchor was going up too.

Letting his breath out in a frustrated huff, he sprinted down the edge of the water towards the ship, his lungs burning for air as he marveled at his own speed. It felt like he was flying! Was he flying? Maybe there was enough momentum to take him up onto the first floor of the ship.

He could scale the railing easily at the speed he was approaching the vessel with.

Deciding to do it on a split-second decision, Kaiba pushed himself into a full sprint, the wind whistling past his ears as the scenery turned into a blue blur, but his vision was clear, and it was as if he was seeing everything in slow motion.

He stretched his leg out in one long leap, and that jump took him all the way up past the first railing, past the second railing, and he was approaching the third floor too quickly. Finally, he felt himself hover in the air, suspended briefly before he began to fall downwards along the side of the ship. F-Fuck!

Reaching out frantically, Kaiba managed to wrap his fingers around the second floor's railing, and his body came swinging forwards heavily into it. A sickening crack shook his body, and the wind was knocked out his lungs. D-Double…fuck!

The pain was a horrible shock, causing his grip to weaken, and he slid slowly downwards, collapsing onto the first floor that was jutting out below.

Gasping and wheezing, Kaiba cursed himself for his own stupidity as he pressed his fingers into the tender spot where he'd broken several ribs.

Thankfully, it seemed no one was around to see that.  
Where the hell was everyone?  
At the welcome speech in the ballroom probably.

Panting with exertion, Kaiba bent down on all fours, his vision turning green as he felt himself heat up while his body healed rapidly. What the hell was this shit? Did drinking human blood suddenly make him unbreakable?

Maybe that's why…human blood…tasted better than animal blood. More fun facts.

Trembling with effort, Kaiba dragged himself to his feet and caught a brief glimpse of his nonexistent reflection in ships' large paned windows. He recoiled, choosing instead to look down at himself.

The clothes needed to go, and he definitely needed new shoes.

Time to raid the ship for supplies, and a phone.  
Mokuba was probably really fucking worried about him by now.

* * *

**Author's note:  
**  
packed chapter! Moki doesn't wanna use his powers cuz he's scared, poor thing!

And kaiba is just…using them…incorrectly and hurting himself. Still suffering from mild amnesia but im sure he'll be finnnnne

Good thing he's feeling much less feral now that he's drank like 4 – 5 adult human bodies worth of blood lolllllll

**+++++++ about current events (march 4, 2020)+++++++**

thank you for all the well wishes regarding my health because of the virus.  
I am fine for now.  
I have likely been exposed but I am not yet sick.  
I am not showing any symptoms, but I DO live in the epicenter of the outbreak (king county, WA) and a LOT of people I know ARE sick, so I feel like its only a matter of time before I get sick as well.  
When that happens, I'll be sure to let you know. (and if I die, you'll know for sure, because the chapter updates would have stopped ahahahaa -ok let's not joke about that- you know I will come back from the grave to post updates!)

good places to reach me are: discord (ugli#7509)  
tumblr: uglifish  
twitter: prettiugli  
Instagram:

the people I know who are in their 20's that are "mildly sick", "getting there", or have been feverish for the past week CANNOT get a kit because their condition is not critical enough to warrant testing?  
This is scary and very real.  
News is SLOW and they are not reporting accurately.

Shit happening here that's NOT making the news:  
hospitals are FULL  
making it hard for people with other emergency ailments (like retinal detachment) to worsen because they can't get help either.  
they are sending people away who are still sick, therefore infecting everyone else they come into contact with.

I can't express this enough.  
DON'T BE A SHITTY PERSON! STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK  
sharing your germs at this time is not caring.  
And if you can't afford to do that…CALL IN to ask for a special circumstance. This is serious.  
Wear a mask of any kind so you keep your germs to yourself.

I know the price gouging for masks is insane right now, so anything to let your fellow people know you are sick and to stay away, is the correct method of action.

Furthermore, if you think "this isn't going to happen to me", or "Seattle is a continent away, I live in _-some far away state-" _and that "I am a healthy 20 something. It can't touch me."  
no.  
Being a healthy carrier is the worst thing you could do to your friends, family, and anyone you come into contact with who might be have a compromised immune system.

"I was already sick a couple weeks ago. I'm immune."

**NO ONE is immune to this. (SOURCE INFO HERE) you can get it over and over again.**  
This is a "novel" virus, which means the immune system has never been exposed to it and therefore everyone is susceptible. There is no vaccine, nor do authorities expect one until WINTER 2021, assuming we all make it far, amirite?

Fear is needed if you want to be prepared.  
BE PREPARED.  
I am not being an alarmist.  
(read this and be informed)

**This is real,** and **you need to prep if you haven't already.**  
\- get zinc lozenges (for inflammation in your throat or lungs) & vitamin C tablets (immune boosters)  
\- get pasta / canned soup / boxed mac and cheese / prep like you are going camping with a 5 year old for 3 weeks.

I care that you and your loved ones are protected.  
I cannot emphasis enough HOW FAST this illness spreads.

the CDC website is a source of truth. Check it often.

IF YOU ARE SICK RIGHT NOW, here is a chart to monitor your symptoms to see if it matches the COVID-19 symptoms.  
.gov/eid/article/26/6/20-0452-f1

getting sick, mildly or otherwise is dangerous right now.  
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Help those in need if they reach out to you, especially if you have elderly neighbors who might not have support.

This virus is going to shape how we behave in humanity for years to come.  
This isn't going to be "over" when summer hits.  
If anything, it'll lull people into a false sense of security.

The virus is not contained.  
DO NOT attend large gatherings.  
Do not attend small gatherings.  
Do not meet up (for a quick coffee with a friend, or a ygo tournament on a random Saturday.)  
No face-to-face for the next few months if you can help it.  
Stay safe. Stay healthy.

with all my love,

Ugli


	10. Chapter 10

Yami gave the receptionist a smile and Mokuba clung tighter to his leg the longer silence stretched on. Nothing but the sound of her typing on the keyboard filled the air, and Yami drummed his fingers lightly on the marble countertop, continuously exerting pressure.

He had to make sure she didn't ask for their identification at the end. Making her forget to ask should be easy enough.

She wasn't resisting at all and was beginning to get sleepy.

"Here is your reprogrammed key-y," she yawned, passing Yami the card across the counter. "Enjoy your…oops! I just need your ID really quick. So sorry about that! I nearly forgot!"

_Damn._ Yami grit his teeth and his stomach grumbled as he smiled and nodded, handing over the same keycard she'd just given him.

Mokuba watched this with bated breath. That would never work!

The receptionist stared blankly at the card before handing it back with a mechanical smile, "Thank you, Mr. Yamamoto. I hope you and your niece will enjoy the short ride back to Domino City."

"Thank you," Yami said fluidly, taking the keycard back and Mokuba's hand gripped his fingers so hard, it stung.

They hurried away from the front desk with their heads lowered and took cover in a deserted hallway.

"How'd you do that?" Mokuba demanded. "We didn't even pay! What the heck was she seeing then?"

"She was seeing what she wanted to see," Yami replied calmly, patting Mokuba on the shoulder reassuringly. "She was so used to doing all the motions, she didn't realize anything different. We are safe. You…are safe."

Mokuba frowned and crossed his arms. "Okay, now we find Seto."

"No, now we find food, you have to change, _and then_ we find Seto," Yami said steadily, seeing a familiar, fiery glint in Mokuba's eye. "Aren't you hungry?"

"You're stalling!" Mokuba raised his voice to shout, feeling as if his heart was being torn in two. "You're just _tricking me_ so you can get me back home to Isono! I can see right through you, you liar!"

"I never said any of those things!" Yami cried, holding a finger to his lips, anxiously begging for silence. "We will find him! You have my word. Now please, let's go into the room, okay?"

"No!" Mokuba stamped his foot, drawing a couple of stares from couples passing by, and Yami felt himself sweat. He wasn't equipped to deal with the temper tantrums of a budding teenager combined with vampire hunger.

"Mokuba…" Yami let his breath out in a slow hiss and knelt so he was eye-to-eye with the child. _"…Sleep."_

Mokuba's eyelids drooped heavily before he swayed dangerously to the spot and fell forward into Yami's arms.

Biting back a sigh, Yami scooped Mokuba into his arms and headed for the elevators.

That was a dirty trick, but he couldn't have Mokuba throwing a tantrum in public.

* * *

Kaiba eased the door open and slipped inside the employee breakroom. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, and his stomach curled with longing. Damn, he'd kill for a piece of toasted bread with butter that didn't taste like dust.

Swinging open the first locker, he saw a skirt with a white blouse hanging on the hook.  
Next.  
He moved down the line and discovered the next one was locked.  
Damn. Next.  
He tried two at once, and they both swung open slowly. The locker on his left contained another skirt and blouse outfit, while the one on his right finally had something that looked wearable.

Snatching the pressed shirt off the hook, Kaiba hastily threw it on and reached for the pants.

Footsteps were approaching from the hallway, and Kaiba raced to pull on the slacks, managing to tuck his shirt in the moment a man walked into the break room and stood by the door, staring at him with a stunned expression.

The man blinked rapidly; the door swinging shut behind him while his cheeks steadily reddened.

"M-Mr. Kaiba?" He breathed, and Kaiba straightened up hastily, making sure to stick his feet into the shoes that were a tad too small for him before he addressed the stranger.

"You never saw me." Kaiba glared furiously at the man.

The man looked dazed and his eyes turned misty.

"I…never did," he said quietly, swaying on the spot.

Kaiba nodded, satisfied, and he brushed past the man, eager to get out of sight.  
If that man came out with a story, he could just sue him.

His toes were crammed too tightly against the inside of the shoe, and Kaiba grit his teeth, wondering if he could con his way into getting better clothes at one of the on-board shops and give them an IOU.  
The money he stole off those army men would barely cover food for the night.  
Phone. Phone first.

He leaned his shoulder against another employee door and was relieved to find it empty, with only chair tucked against a narrow desk, overflowing with paperwork.  
A phone was sitting in the corner, nearly buried by all the stacks.  
Nice.  
This seemed to be the kitchen staff's 'office'.

Shutting the door behind himself and locking it, Kaiba snatched it up and dialed Isono's number from heart, listening to the rings as he pressed the receiver to his ear.

To his relief, Isono answered the phone breathlessly. "We are not taking any press calls at this time! Wait, how did you get this number—!"

"Calm the fuck down," Kaiba growled, gripping the phone tightly. "It's me."

"Oh! …Oh," Isono whispered, sounding oddly relieved. "M-Master Kaiba…y-you're alive? Where's Mokuba? Where are you right now? I'll come immediately! Don't let anyone see you!"

"What?" Kaiba snapped, his heart slowing down into a heavy pound in his chest. "What do you mean _'alive'_? Where is Mokuba?"

"You don't…remember anything?" Isono gasped, his ragged breathing audible through the receiver. "Where are you? Is this line secure? Someone very dangerous and powerful is after you! They crashed your plane! It was all over the news! It _is _all over the news! I thought you had died! That's what they're saying—no survivors! There's photos of the crash site circulating everywhere…"

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba's mouth went dry as the phone slipped lower against his face while he digested the bad news.

Mokuba was…dead?!

He remembered waking up from a nap, surrounded by flames right before passing out cold.

Mokuba was in that wreckage with him?!

"No…no," Kaiba breathed, his world spinning terribly, and he braced himself against the tiny desk, rocking back and forth on his heels while Isono's voice flooded his ears.

"Keep a low profile, Master Kaiba. Acquire a random phone and ping me your location! Avoid cameras! They might be following you! Master Kaiba? …Are you there? Master Kaiba!"

"I'm going back," Kaiba said numbly, before he threw the phone back down onto the cradle, shuddering with every breath.  
No. Impossible.  
Mokuba…. wasn't dead.  
He had to go back and check the wreckage.  
Just to be absolutely sure.

Sitting down in the tiny chair, Kaiba propped his elbows up on the desk and gripped his hair in distress. What was happening in his life right now? Was any of this real? The odd superhuman speed, and the weird animal transformations…someone was fucking with him, right?  
And why was he having so much trouble recalling what he'd done in the past 48 hours?

Kaiba rose from the desk and strode out of the office, his confidence returning with every step while his mind raced.

If someone was trying to kill him, they would have to try multiple times because he was currently inhuman, and part beast. Whoever the fuck killed Mokuba had better quadruple their security, because he was coming for them.

* * *

Yami tucked Mokuba into the bed and sighed. He ached all over for a hot shower but first, he had to find food for the child when he woke up.

Gritting his teeth, he tried not to feel guilty. Yami grabbed his blazer off the coat stand beside the door and draped it over his shoulders.

Reviving Mokuba had been a mistake, and it was becoming apparent now. Shit.

Yami stepped out into the hallway and nearly had a heart attack when he saw someone who greatly resembled Seto, brushing past a family in the lobby.

W-Wait.  
He had to follow this stranger just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.  
His years of experience as an immortal being taught him to double-check.  
Yes, doppelgangers existed, but if it looked like someone he'd recently fed on in the past couple months, chances were…he may have accidentally turned them.

_He might be alive due to my clumsiness_, Yami thought frantically, chasing after the tall man wearing a black suit. Raking his gaze down the man's back, Yami took note of the ill-fitting clothes, and the hair that was slightly disheveled at the back.

It didn't look like Seto Kaiba from the back, but then again, the last time he saw the CEO was when he was lying unconscious beside a burning plane.

Perhaps…he could hope…

Yami reached his hand out to tap the man on the shoulder but missed when the stranger made a sudden turn down a narrow hallway, and he hissed in annoyance.

Kaiba heard someone following him, and he spun around nervously, wondering if it was a hitman coming after him already, but to his relief, it was a familiar face. A beautiful, familiar face.  
The man with spiky tri-colored hair and alluring violet eyes.

"You're alive!" Yami exclaimed happily, throwing himself forward to pull Kaiba into a tight embrace without thinking, and he pressed his ear firmly against the CEO's chest, listening intently for a heartbeat. There was none.

Frozen in place, Kaiba swallowed thinly, and his stomach swooped to the ground when he felt Yami's arms tightened around him. H-How did this man know what had happened?

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I really, deeply apologize for turning you without realizing." Yami ranted, gripping Kaiba by the arms and giving him a squeeze. "I was so worried they had taken your body, but now that you're here, Mokuba will be so—"

"Mokuba's alive?" Kaiba interrupted, his heart leaping into his throat as he gazed into Yami's violet orbs.

"Yes, he's with me," Yami said reassuringly, pressing a finger to his lips and pulling Kaiba against the wall so they weren't in the middle of the walkway. "How are you feeling? Hungry? Thirsty? Are you perhaps experiencing an unquenchable thirst?"

"I'm fine. Let me see him," Kaiba replied instantly, his head spinning with relief. "Where is he? Were you there?"

"Yes, I have him inside a room—" Yami began, but Kaiba cut him off angrily.

"Someone is trying to kill us, and you blatantly registered for a room?" Kaiba raged, and Yami's warm hand rested on his chest while the spiky-haired man blinked steadily at him, looking extremely calm.

"We _acquired _a room," Yami said quietly, throwing a furtive glance over his shoulder. "Without paying."

"Yeah? And what happens when someone walks into that room with a key?" Kaiba asked, incensed, and he got another strange look from Yami.

"You don't know, do you?" Yami swallowed thinly, his body growing numb from guilt. "You must be so thirsty. Let's get us some food because Mokuba will wake up hungry soon. Can we agree to hunt peacefully together?"

"H-Hunt?" Kaiba breathed, wondering if his ears were deceiving him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed changes in yourself," Yami said angrily, losing his patience. "You must've also fed from the pilot, but you haven't had enough. Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

There was a long silence while a couple of people walked by the mouth of the hallway, staring curiously at them before going on their way, and Kaiba clenched his fists in his too-narrow pockets.

Mystery man from the bar somehow knew about the beast transformations.  
Could he be trusted?

"Let's get you some new clothes," Yami suggested gently, hooking his arm through Kaiba's elbow and leading him out of the hallway. "You'll feel more like yourself after we've all fed, I promise."

Kaiba grit his teeth and said nothing.  
Fine.  
Maybe he could trust this guy briefly, but only because he had Mokuba stowed safely away in a room. He was out of options anyway.

They stepped into the elevator together, and the doors slowly slid shut, encasing them in silence once more.

"Hey, I never got your name," Kaiba said gruffly, his ears burning with embarrassment, and the spiky-haired beauty looked mildly shocked.

"I've told you my name before," Yami said carefully, gazing deeply into Kaiba's face, inspecting the whites of his eyes for any signs of yellowing. "You must've forgotten. Well, you must've died in your sleep, and that causes slight amnesia. Don't worry. You'll remember soon. My name is Yami."

Stunned into silence, Kaiba tried to put his feelings into words as the elevator doors opened and he was led onto the floor with shops. What the fuck was this guy going on about?  
Dying?  
Amnesia?  
He agreed on the amnesia, but he felt very much alive.  
And was 'Yami' an alias?  
There was no way that could be his real name.

"Now I also need to give you a lesson in 'pressuring'," Yami sighed, wondering if he was going to be persecuted by the vampires back in Domino for changing two humans at once. "Ready? Watch and learn."

"Pressuring what?" Kaiba asked, and he was gently acknowledged with a pretty smile.

Annoyed, Kaiba let Yami tug him into a formal wear shop to their right, and an attendant came forth to bow at them, her face pale with shock the moment she saw Kaiba's face.

"This is my associate, Mr. Yamamoto," Yami said smoothly, defaulting on his single most-used alias. "Please fit him accordingly. Any resemblance he bears to anyone you may know is purely your imagination."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. This was idiotic and would never work.

He watched the woman bob her head, look confused for a moment before bowing again and robotically recited her welcome speech for the second time.

"Thank you for coming in. How may I help you find a size?" She smiled blankly at them both.

"Mr. Yamamoto would like to be fitted," Yami repeated, keeping steady eye contact and feeling her weaken significantly with every passing second. "Please try to stay alert and make him comfortable. Where is your manager?"

"Over…here," she said dazedly, gesturing them inside.

Kaiba watched with increasing fascination as Yami repeated the same introduction again, but this time to the store manager, and he also looked confused for a moment before bowing and reciting his welcome speech eerily.

It was as if the reset button had been hit, and these two were seeing whatever Yami wanted them to see.

"Right this way, Mr. Yamamoto," the man said, stepping forward and bowing Kaiba into a changing area. The measuring tape was slipped off from around his neck, and the man held it invitingly up for Kaiba to see.

Deciding not to protest, Kaiba stepped into the changing room and let the man accompany him, his mind churning. How soon could this be over so they could check on Mokuba?

"Please disrobe," the man requested, his eyes oddly glassy, and Kaiba stared into his face, slowly getting undressed. Then, he straightened up and raised his arms to the side, letting the man do his job.

God, this was fucking weird. And the silence was stifling.

How the hell did Yami do that?

"Good thing you are tall," the man commented emptily, draping the measuring tape over his own neck after he'd finished. "We have three base-suits for you to choose from. Would you like us to add any additional embellishments? Perhaps tighten it around the waist a bit?"

"Ye—No, just give me something that fits," Kaiba growled. He had to correct himself because he remembered he couldn't pay for anything without flagging activity on his account.  
He was supposed to be 'dead'.  
Fuck….  
Was Yami going to pay for this?  
Or was he going to 'acquire it without paying' like he did with the room?

"I'll be right back," the man said mildly. He disappeared behind the curtain, and Yami appeared, ducking his head boldly into the changing room and flashing him a mischievous grin, his violet eyes raking down Kaiba's nude chest and legs with a suggestive air.

Kaiba chanced a smile back, his heart skipping rapid beats in his excitement.  
Oh, wow, hey. This spiky-haired guy liked what he saw.  
Were they…dating? This guy was his boyfriend?  
So…he had _succeeded_ in asking this guy out? When?  
Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek nervously.  
He couldn't remember how he'd done it though.  
Didn't matter. It was a solid win.

"Please…" The manager was back, so Yami's head disappeared from the curtain and the man emerged, holding out a set of neatly folded clothes for him to wear.

"He'll wear it out," Kaiba heard Yami say from outside. "Let me pay you."

"Yes, very good," the manager mumbled, bowing stiffly at Kaiba before rushing out of the changing area to help at the register.

Numb with confusion and shock, Kaiba stared at his reflection for a second before growing numb all over with fear, and he forced himself to look away. Mirrors were suddenly…terrifying. Why?

Grinding his jaw, he hastily got dressed and didn't turn around to look at the mirror again before striding out into the store, thankful that the shoes he wore fit him well, almost like a pair he had at home.

He paused, seeing Yami hand over a room key card, and the lady at the register slid it through the card-reader like it was a credit card before handing it back with a robotic smile.  
What…the…fuck…?

"All paid up." Yami grinned handsomely and gestured for Kaiba to follow him out of the store.

Sticking close behind him, Kaiba tried to make sense of everything he'd just seen. He had so many questions, but the moment he opened his mouth to ask, his stomach growled loudly.

"Dammit," Yami cursed, turning to give Kaiba a concerned look over his shoulder. "You will get hungry every four to five hours until you've fully matured. Don't go attacking people. Want a meal? Follow my lead."

"Why would I attack anyone?" Kaiba asked nervously, stepping into the elevator beside Yami and avoiding the mirrored surface of the walls surrounding them, feeling himself sweat. "Take me to Mokuba."

"Not yet," Yami gave Kaiba a warm smile over his shoulder. "We need to bring him some food and I need your help. Ready?"

"Just order room service," Kaiba said, but he wasn't heard.

The elevator doors slid open and Yami was hurrying down an elegant hallway, leaving him behind. Striding hastily to catch up, Kaiba ground his teeth in irritation. They were headed towards a large set of doors leading into the ballroom which were sealed off with red velvet ropes, guarded by two men in dark suits wearing earpieces.

He needed answers, not to be dragged around the ship.

Yami approached the two men and gave them a playful salute.

"Gentlemen, remember me?" Yami asked confidently with Kaiba hovered behind him apprehensively. "My friend and I would like to enter."

Kaiba swallowed thinly as the man on the left raked his cold gaze down his body, taking in his outfit before nodding and pushing the door back to let them in.

"Thank you," Yami said smoothly, seeing the man on his left yawn, and he hastily gave Kaiba a nod. "Say 'thank you'."

"No," Kaiba refused stiffly, and Yami looked exasperated. The spiky-haired man reached out to grab his forearm and pulled him into a secluded corner of the ballroom, giving him a wry smile.

"Now begins your lesson in hunting…_politely_," Yami had to emphasize the word because he had a feeling that wasn't a term in Kaiba's personal vocabulary. "If women flock to you naturally, let them, and then pick the one who is the most receptive to you—"

"What the hell is this?" Kaiba snapped, losing his patience bit by bit. "Why are you giving me a lesson in speed dating? Is this your idea of fun?"

"No, this is how we will bring food to Mokuba," Yami replied evenly, trying not to argue with Kaiba. "We feed…when they are comfortably asleep, so if you can get her room number, that would be preferable—"

"You're sick," Kaiba said slowly, his blood running cold with dread. "Do you hear yourself? Hey, are we dating? Because its over if we are."

"You are so dense, and completely in denial!" Yami hissed, his cheeks flushing with frustration as he gripped Kaiba's arm harder, his claws digging in through the fabric. "_We drink_…their _blood!_ If we don't, we go _mad!_ Mokuba is currently starving. We _need_ to do this. Do you understand, Kaiba? This is not a joke!"

Kaiba blinked rapidly, his ears ringing with a strange sound as the world began floating farther and farther away. Oh…god….  
Was this real? Or was this all a bad dream? When would he wake up? He thought the only positive aspect to this nightmare was Yami, but the things he was saying were nightmarish too!

"Fine. Come to terms with it in your own time," Yami sighed, releasing Kaiba's arm and feeling someone hovering in the distance behind them. "Just stand here and release your pheromones to bait them in. I will take a walk around the room."

Speechless, Kaiba couldn't nod or move. He just watched as Yami left his side and melted into the crowd of well-dressed people milling around in the center of the room by the large buffet tables.

Kaiba's stomach churned when he realized…he could smell the food. It was delicious! Steamed vegetables and smoked salmon, oh, it was heavenly!

"Hey Mister. You look hungry," a husky voice said, giving him a start, and Kaiba glanced beside him, seeing a tall woman about his height.

"I…am," Kaiba answered stiffly, unsure if he was being hit on. She was eyeing him like a wolf and had a beautiful sheet of long black hair draped over her slender shoulders.

" You know, you look familiar," she said, stepping boldly closer to him and leaning her shoulder playfully against his. "I've got it! You know that singer, Tomohita Ueshiro? You look just like him!"

Kaiba swallowed thinly, and his stomach twisted with anxiety when she leaned even closer, gazing rapturously into his face.

Okay….  
Could she… back…the fuck off?

"Never heard of him," Kaiba answered stiffly, wondering where the hell Yami went.  
Was this the plan? This was not the fucking plan, was it?!

"That's too bad," she said smoothly, her cheeks steadily flushing red the longer she stared into his eyes, and Kaiba kept his gaze pointed at a spot above her shoulder, but she kept leaning in.

They were interrupted by another woman who dashed forward and grabbed her friend by the arm, eyeing Kaiba apprehensively while she also began to steadily blush.

"W-Who's your friend, Tadako-san?" She asked in an audible whisper, and Kaiba grit his teeth, feeling uncomfortable as she also began to stare intensely into his face. "He looks like…Seto Kaiba."

"He does!" The black-haired beauty said warmly, leaning forward to give Kaiba's arm a squeeze. "Don't tell me you don't know who he is either?"

Kaiba opened his mouth to curse at them to back the fuck off, but he was saved by Yami, who materialized on his other side with his hand outstretched towards the women for a friendly shake.

"I think he looks like that singer, Urashima Taro or something," Yami said mildly, purposely giving the wrong name to elicit smiles from the two girls. "Pleased to meet you. I'm his friend, Mr. Yamamoto. What are your names?"

The girls bowed quickly and giggled, shaking Yami's hand while introducing themselves quickly.

"I'm Tadako, and this is my friend, Mimi," the dark-haired woman said, nudging her blonde friend who smiled shakily at Kaiba again. "We were here for the ribbon cutting, but they suddenly cancelled it without saying why! How annoying, right?"

Kaiba curled his fists inside his pockets, feeling as if he was suffocating. Yes. Annoying, because someone had crashed his plane in a blatant attempted murder.  
The scent of smoked salon and steamed vegetables was making his mouth water, and when he leaned forward to shift his stance, he caught a whiff of it again…from the dark-haired woman.

Oh god…this woman smelled like a whole meal!

"Let's complain about it somewhere else," Yami winked, offering his arm for the blonde girl and she hesitated briefly. "How about upstairs? It's loud and crowded in here. I want to hear you clearly."

"Oh! …Yes!" The dark-haired woman nodded, pushing her friend towards Yami with a furious nod. "Let's go upstairs, Mr. Taro!"

She hooked her arm around Kaiba's slender elbow, and his mouth watered when the savory scent grew in the air grew heavier, causing his stomach to curl with hunger.  
Fine. This was a good plan, and he would follow Yami's lead because he wanted to…feast on this woman.

He kept his eyes focused on the back of Yami's spiky hair while the woman beside him chattered away, and Kaiba had to remind himself to nod from time to time.

Yes, did he find that interesting? Nod.  
Wow, the ship is so large and pretty. Nod and agree.

Stepping into the elevator, Yami shot Kaiba a warning glance when the woman at his side kept talking, showing no signs of stopping. She sounded excited, and almost…too awake, and too alert. Wasn't Kaiba pulling his weight? Apparently not, because Kaiba kept his gaze focused on a point above her shoulder, ignoring her on purpose, she swung on his arm while looking lovingly into his face.

Kaiba swallowed the saliva gathering behind his teeth as the scent of the delicious meal grew heavier, and he caught Yami's eye, noting a muscle tensing in his partner's cheek that clearly said, _'get her to shut up!_'.

The blonde girl on Yami's arm looked half-asleep and was leaning her head contentedly on his shoulder while the elevator rose.

Kaiba's stomach growled.

Right. He had to…convince this woman to…be sleepy, somehow, so Kaiba hastily turned to her with a smile and said, "how are you feeling?"

"Fine." She threw him a confident grin, and Kaiba could practically see hostile waves emanating from Yami across from him.

Goddammit.

"I'm getting a little tired, aren't you?" Kaiba asked almost too accusingly, and he saw her eyelids droop significantly with alarming speed. His heart skipped a nervous beat, and he heard Yami let out a quick sigh, warning him that he was 'pressuring' her too fast.

"N-No, I'm not," she insisted, shaking her head and tossing a lock of her hair over her shoulder. The elevator doors opened, and Kaiba let her lead him out of it, his mind racing for ideas. Shit. Shit.

"But I am," he said quietly, wishing she would turn around to look at him again. Eye contact was key, wasn't it?

"You are? Why? Had too much to drink?" The woman whirled around to face him, and Kaiba finally managed to hold her gaze for more than five seconds in silence before he answered with, "I think so. I like white wine. What about you?"

"I like…" The woman swayed gently on the spot, and Kaiba automatically shot out a hand to steady her, feeling a vicious rush of triumph when she bit back a yawn. "S-Sorry! …I-I like white wine too…oh gosh, your sleepiness is rubbing off on me! Stop it!"

She punched him playfully on the shoulder, and Kaiba kept the smile plastered on his face, wondering why she was still so…spunky. How the hell did Yami lull that girl into silence with a short walk to the elevator? He had to get better at this, dammit.

"Let's take a little rest in my room because your friend looks like she's tired too," Kaiba said confidently. Yami stopped at his side, and he heard the blonde girl yawn, almost as if on cue.

"Tadako-saaaan," she whined, clutching Yami's arm tightly for support. "This is your fault! You told me to drink three glasses when I'm clearly a one-glass kind of girl!"

"I didn't force you," the dark-haired beauty shot back haughtily, and Yami clenched his jaw tightly, willing himself to be patient.

This was Kaiba's first time…so it was understandable that it would take a while for him to subdue his meal.

But now, Kaiba's meal was waking up his own already-prepped meal, dammit….

"Well, I don't want to sound crass, but you can rest in the room I share with my nephew," Yami suggested smoothly, giving her a warm smile while he slowed his speech down to help Kaiba hypnotize her. "I'm getting a bit..._worried_…about leaving him all alone in a room…by himself. He's eleven…you know, kids…"

"You brought your eleven-year-old nephew? How cute!" The blonde girl whispered, giving Yami's arm a flirty squeeze. "He must be a huge fan of duel monsters, huh?"

"He's twelve," Kaiba corrected Yami automatically, and he received a venomous glare.

"Yes, and he's_ hungry_." Yami smiled through his gritted teeth, feeling his fangs poking dangerously through his top lip. "Care to _do your part?"_

"Yeah, I'm losing my patience for this shit," Kaiba growled, his mouth watering even harder as he turned to the dark-haired girl and gazed deeply into her brown eyes. "_Go to sleep,"_ he hissed angrily, and she swayed violently on the spot. He grabbed her by the arm just as she was leaning backwards, and he pulled her against his chest. Her chin hit his shoulder painfully as she slumped over in his arms.

Yami's companion gasped in fear, and Yami bit his tongue, exasperated and angry.

He turned to her with an apologetic grimace. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Now its your turn," he suggested quietly, and her eyelids fluttered madly before she collapsed.

Yami managed to catch her, and he lifted her off the ground with practiced fluidity before turning to sigh at Kaiba, who was also carrying the other unconscious woman in his arms.

Her dark hair was so long, it brushed the tops of Kaiba's knees as he held her tightly, giving Yami a reproachful look.

"What?" he said innocently, and Yami rolled his eyes.

"You don't do that." He admonished, shaking his head. "What if she has an illness? What if you didn't catch her before she hit the ground?"

"Shut up and take me to Mokuba," Kaiba insisted, feeling her twitch in his grasp. "Or have you been lying about that this entire time?"

Yami shook his head again, and carefully walked down the hall towards their room, glad they were so close, but he had planned it this way. He had a feeling Kaiba's first pressuring would go wrong, but only because he was the type of person to be forceful.

Stopping at the door, Yami gently set the woman down on her feet and leaned her upper body against his while he dug out the keycard from his pocket and unlocked the door.

It swung open to reveal a red-faced and tearful Mokuba who opened his mouth to shout at Yami before he saw the unconscious woman draped over his slender form.

"Where did you go?! You…left me all alone!" Mokuba cried. His knees weakened with the overwhelming scent of smoked salmon mixed with buttered vegetables wafted into the room, and he sniffed tentatively.

Then, Seto walked into the room, also carrying an unconscious woman, and Mokuba's knees gave out once and for all.

He sat down on the ground so fast, his tailbone stung.

"Seto!" he cried hoarsely, his throat scratchy with dryness, but he didn't care.

Yami set the woman gently down in a chair and rushed to shut the door, barely missing the blur that zoomed across the room as Kaiba raced to pick Mokuba up in his arms and hug him tearfully.

"Hey…kid, hey," Kaiba breathed, and listened to Mokuba sobbing quietly into his shoulder while his tiny arms looped tightly around his neck. "I missed you a bunch."

"I th-thought…y-you…Yami-i-i…d-did—he—I…" Mokuba blubbered, pressing his face tighter against Seto's chest and struggling to speak through his hiccupping tears. "They-y…s-s-shot…m-me…i-in the...h-h-head…S-Seto!"

Kaiba blinked, his blood running ice-cold.

_WHAT?!_

"Who did that? What the fuck are you talking about?" Kaiba snapped, prying Mokuba away to gaze into his face. "They did _what?!"_

Mokuba shook his head tearfully, no longer able to speak through his distress. Seto gave him another firm shake, his blue eyes wide with a mixture of fear and rage.

"Kid, hey…"

"He's distressed, leave him alone," Yami said slowly, resting a hand on Mokuba's tiny shoulder and giving the boy a reassuring squeeze. "Can I tell him, Mokuba?"

Mokuba nodded furiously, brushing the tears off his cheeks before throwing himself forward into Seto's arms again and hugging his older brother furiously.

Slowly easing onto the floor in a sitting position, Kaiba held Mokuba gently while Yami's deep voice rang in his ears.

"After the plane hit the ground, a group of men marched into the clearing to…finish the job. I saw it all, but I couldn't stop them because they had to report back. So, after they left, I…revived your little brother," Yami said carefully, gazing down at the strange scene at his feet. "We thought they had taken your body, but clearly, you managed to escape."

The older Kaiba was curled protectively against his younger brother whose shoulders were still shaking violently with heartbroken sobs.

"I'll kill them," Kaiba fumed. Mokuba raised his head tearfully to shake his head.

"T-They w-were al-l-ready d-dead!" Mokuba whispered, his eyes puffing red at the corners. "Some b-bear mauled them or…s-something…"

He gradually began to calm down as Seto hugged him tighter against his chest and said nothing.

_That gun I kicked…was the one they used!_ Kaiba reeled, feeling Mokuba tremble slightly in his arms and hiccup again. _They fucking deserved it! Those assholes!_

Mokuba clung to Seto with all his might, his stomach growling painfully.

Kaiba heard this and gently patted his younger brother on the back, trying to ease him up into a sitting position on his knees.

"Kid…get off the ground. Come on," Kaiba said anxiously, trying to pull Mokuba upwards, but his brother shook his head and kept his arms locked tightly around him while his legs remained stubbornly splayed out on the ground

"Yes, we brought lots of food who might wake up soon," Yami urged, motioning gently towards the two unconscious women, and his stomach churned with guilt, but he shoved it aside.

"Thanks," Mokuba said glumly, rubbing his eyes with one hand, but it was pried away by Seto's pale hand which was shaking slightly.

"Don't rub. Sit up. I'll get it for you." Kaiba smiled gently at his brother as he slowly sat up and huffed angrily.

"I hate…eating." Mokuba's voice cracked, and he ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth, hating how dry everything felt. It was gross! Feeding from the pilot felt like justice, but these two were just normal girls! They didn't do anything wrong to deserve being bitten….

"Kaiba, a word," Yami tilted his head towards the far end of the room where the suite's kitchen was, relieved to see Kaiba immediately stand and march over to join him with a dark look painted across his handsome features.

"What," Kaiba growled, feeling as if his world was crumbling. "We're teaching him how to commit a crime. I fucking know."

"I just…wanted to say that his first meal was traumatizing," Yami said gently, deciding that he really needed to help Kaiba parent this child. "So, if we could ease that fear for him, it would make him _less hostile_ in the future. We live…for a very long time—"

"I can hear you guys talking about me," Mokuba said loudly from across the room, sitting at the dining table with his arms crossed. "You think I'm scared? I'm not! I'll do it! I'll show you!"

"You _see_?" Yami gave Kaiba a knowing look, and to his relief, Kaiba nodded in agreement, straightening up and composing himself with a gleam of confidence in his blue eyes.

Kaiba scanned the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard and strode silently over to the blonde woman, splaying out her fingers slowly and giving Mokuba a knowing look.

"We can do it very gently…they'll never know, and it won't hurt," he said softly, seeing Mokuba's eyes widen with fear. "It's good thing you know this is wrong, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, Kaiba ran his tongue along the tops of his teeth, finding the sharp points protruding underneath his top lip with ease, and he lifted the woman's hand to his mouth to gently prick her finger against his fang.

He did the same thing with all five of her fingers and let her arm fall heavily to her side. Mokuba watched with bated breath as Seto put the cup underneath her hand, letting the slow, steady drip of blood fill the glass.

Intrigued, Yami kept his distance and let Kaiba do the same for the other woman, his heart thundering in his chest at Kaiba's sudden change in behavior. He was now cold and calculating, acting like a dangerous, methodical, _old_ vampire.

"But won't she wake up?" Mokuba whispered nervously, seeing the woman's hand twitching above the rim of the glass. "Then what?"

"She'll stay asleep," Kaiba said reassuringly, eyeing the glass and praying it would fill faster. Yes, this was an agonizing way to do it, but it was the safest way.

The blood had already stopped dripping from the blonde girl's hand, and Kaiba hastily bent down to grab her arm again, gently giving it a few stimulating rubs up and down to recirculate her blood before lowering her hand back over the glass, causing red drops of blood to slowly stream from her fingertips.

Success.

"See?" Kaiba willed his voice to remain steady, and he saw Mokuba give him a shaky smile in response. "And when we're done…Yami will carry them back into their rooms."

"Yes, I know their room numbers," Yami said icily, moving to stand behind the dark-haired woman, resting a hand on her shoulder when she began to lean sideways off the chair. "Because they were _awake_ when they told us this _valuable information_."

"You don't have to keep rubbing it in my face," Kaiba snapped, rising to his feet to glare at Yami. "I know I fucked up. She was really fucking annoying."

Mokuba watched this heated argument with his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It was just a little forceful, that's all," Yami replied impatiently, fully aware that Mokuba was witnessing this fight. "We'll get a second chance when they wake up. You will help me persuade them into thinking they merely fainted after having too much to drink. Got it?"

Kaiba ground his teeth, and after a moment of fighting with himself, he nodded.

Okay. Second chance. He wouldn't fuck it up the second time around.

"Seto! Look, it's almost done!" Mokuba cried excitedly, his mood brightening when he eyed the full glass of blood. "Can I have some now?"

Yami spared Mokuba a kind smile, feeling himself relaxing with relief. Seto was very good at handling his little brother.

Kaiba reached down to pick up the glass, holding the woman's hand upright briefly before Yami slipped another empty glass underneath her hand, and he slowly lowered it back down. They were a fucking blood-sucking dream team.

"Mine!" Mokuba reached across the table to lift the glass carefully from Seto's hand, and he pressed it to his lips, taking a deep draft and instantly, his mind starting to clear as the wonderful nectar coated his throat with a refreshing tang.  
Nice.  
The blonde girl tasted like an ice cream but melted.  
It was weird, but good.  
A good weird.

Kaiba licked his lips anxiously, watching Mokuba round off the glass with a smack of his lips and a grin, showing off his newly sprouted fangs.

"Thanks, I'm full. Can I watch TV while you guys eat?" Mokuba asked nonchalantly, already sliding off the chair. "Yes? Yes!"

"I didn't say yes, but fine," Kaiba said anxiously, and Yami nudged his arm to offer him a glass filled to the brim, and his heart skipped a grateful beat.

Without asking questions, he accepted it from Yami without breaking eye contact and threw the glass back with ease. It was…delicious, hot, savory, and oddly thirst-quenching all the same time.

Yami fixated on the way Kaiba's Adam's apple jumped in his throat with every large gulp, and his tongue itched with longing. His skin looked so pretty and pale, he wanted to…lick it…but he held himself back, knowing it wouldn't lead to anything they could appropriately do in front of the child.

Kaiba lowered his head, his stomach curling with disappointment at the empty glass, and Yami took it from him with a knowing nod.

"We'll go again, for seconds," Yami grinned. "Ready?"

Kaiba eyed Mokuba who was sitting happily on the bed, rolled up in the comforter with his eyes glued to the bright TV.

"Yes," he said confidently, and he appreciated the pretty smile he received in return.

* * *

**Author's note:**

wooooo mokuba and kaiba reuniteddd! Yami teaching kaiba all the things, and kaiba doing them brashly and WRONG! Lololo does kaiba make a good vamp or not? Yami can't seem to make up his mind hahaha he does make a great oniichan tho!

Edited by: taedae


	11. Chapter 11

Yami set the woman gently down on the lounge by the pool, watching her chest rise and fall with steady breaths.

He saw Kaiba lower her friend into the seat beside her, and gently brush the hair out of her face.

What a relief to know that it wasn't a mistake to turn the Kaiba brothers. Yami had previously encountered other more…violent vampires, and the memory disturbed him greatly.

"We can't leave them here alone," Kaiba said instantly, gazing at Yami over the sleeping woman's head. "There's no one up here. What if someone finds them while they're still asleep?"

"We can call security to wake them up…or, hope that they wake up soon," Yami nodded, sitting down in the adjacent lounge chair beside the women, seeing one's eyelid twitch. "I'm getting hungry."

Kaiba grimaced sympathetically. Yeah, another reminder that he was the selfish asshole who had drank the last of it, even handing the glass to Mokuba and watching him lick it clean.

"The next meal is on me," Kaiba said, feeling the words roll off his tongue with way too much familiarity. He hated owing people favors, and this instance was no expectation.

"Really? Thank you," Yami replied, smiling casually and sliding one slender leg over the other as he leaned back into the lounge with his arms crossed behind his head, gazing up at the indigo night sky that was decorated with tiny silver stars.

Kaiba nodded wordlessly, raking his eyes greedily down Yami's legs, feeling unusually pent up. Now that he was full, he had another nasty urge nagging at him.

Standing gracefully, Kaiba moved to sit on the lounge beside Yami, and he rested a hand daringly on his knee, his heart pounding in his ears when Yami shot him another pretty smile.  
This spiky-haired man…was so caring and generous, even though they barely knew each other. What had he done to deserve this wonderful person?  
Where had he come from and…why did he save Mokuba without question?

"What are you thinking about?" Yami asked slyly, wishing he was strong enough to hear Kaiba's thoughts, because he briefly saw lust flash through his eyes. "Tell me."

Kaiba said nothing and chose to dive forward bravely to capture Yami's lips in a tight kiss, managing to catch him off guard. Blinking rapidly, Yami relaxed and enjoyed Kaiba's tongue slipping teasingly in and out over the tops of his fangs, and it sent a wonderful shiver down his spine.

Incredible. Somehow…Kaiba tasted even better now than he did when he was human.

_I can see why vampires have mindless sex when they're bored,_ Yami thought happily, draping his arms around Kaiba's shoulders to pull him closer, letting himself fall into the wonderful softness of Kaiba's lips which were moving sensually over his, sending wave after wave of warmth crashing down over him while each kiss lingered with a certain sweetness.

The mood had changed too. When Kaiba was human, it was this desperate, needy, panting horniness that seemed to never end. Now, it was…comforting, soft, and dreamy.

Yami decided that death really did change the CEO for the better, and he sighed happily into the embrace, nibbling playfully on Kaiba's lower lip and enjoying the hands raking down his sides, bunching his blazer up around his hips while slender fingers slipped teasingly across his belt.

Kaiba's chest tightened with excitement when Yami's hands tangled in his hair and tugged erotically, encouraging him to continue while a silky sweet tongue danced along his lower lip. Holy fuck. Yes.

He leaned Yami down onto the lounge and rested his hands on either side of his spiky head, drinking in the sight below him, feeling like he'd conquered the world's best, and unwinnable prize.

Silvery rays of clear moonlight made Yami's tanned skin appear to glow beautifully, and his spiky bangs brushed against his delicate cheeks perfectly, drawing attention to his best feature: his alluring, violet eyes.

"Is this…real?" Kaiba whispered, feeling as if something was slowly crushing the air out of his lungs the longer Yami stared unblinkingly up at him. "I thought you hated me."

"Where did you get that funny idea?" Yami asked with a smirk, trailing his finger down the side of Kaiba's sharp cheekbone. "Don't tell me you're still angry because I told you I don't have a phone, because I really don't. That was the truth."

Kaiba blinked and chanced a nod, his heart pounding with incredulity.  
That interaction had felt like it had been _eons_ ago!

"Well, I don't need a phone," Yami said, sensually shrugging his shoulders and pulling Kaiba down closer so he could press a swift kiss on his cheek. "We can communicate…in other ways. I'll show you—"

"Oh my god!"

Kaiba and Yami froze, slowly turning their heads to the side with dread. Both women were awake and staring at them with shocked expressions.

"It's…not what it looks like," Yami said uncertainly, resting a warm hand on Kaiba's chest and feeling him tense. "We were waiting for you to wake up."

Kaiba blinked and his heart skipped a nervous beat at Yami's words as he watched the women glare at them angrily. Yami didn't mean that, right?

"Well, Mimi and I aren't interested anyway!" The dark-haired woman stood up and grabbed her friend by the arm, pulling her up off the lounge. "Let's go!"

Kaiba set his jaw and didn't move from his position as the women stormed off in a huff. Yami's spiky bangs were inches from his nose and he was aching to bury his face in them.

"Well, now that they're gone, let's continue," Yami said slowly, turning back to Kaiba with a smile. "I didn't hear them wake up because I was so distracted."

"Yes, and too bad," Kaiba mumbled, shutting his eyes and inhaling Yami's exotic scent deeply into his lungs. "Mokuba is the room. Where can we do it?"

"We'll get another room," Yami said devilishly, flashing his fangs in a grin. "Try not to make the front desk attendant faint, otherwise you'll draw attention to us."

Kaiba nodded, his stomach curling with hunger as he bit down playfully on Yami's ear. His companion laughed deeply and pushed him away with one arm, trying to sit up.

"We're both hungry. Let's eat a male this time, shall we?" Yami suggested lightly, and Kaiba leaned back to let Yami up, his body tense with dread.  
He didn't want to sound as whiny as Mokuba, but he hated people, and now, his meals had to come from people.  
He was going to hate eating, just as much, if not more.

"It won't be that bad," Yami said reassuringly, standing to stretch lightly, and he offered Kaiba his hand. "We'll find one together."

Slipping his hand into Yami's outstretched one, Kaiba enjoyed the way his arm tingled happily when their fingers interlocked, and he rose to his feet, allowing Yami to lead him back inside.

A group of high school students were loitering in the hallway, sneaking cigarettes, and Kaiba wrinkled his nose at the overpowering stench of tobacco. His nostrils were burning! His heightened sense of smell was a gift and a curse.

Yami also wrinkled his nose and powered past them, nearly running nose-first into another student, who gasped and backed away apologetically.

"Sorry!" The student cried, pressing himself flat against the wall to let Kaiba and Yami through the narrow hallway. "I-I didn't see you. I was just passing by."

Yami paused to stare at the student, taking in his spiky hair and his delicate features. Cute.

Kaiba also stared, but he was fixated on the pulse beating rapidly in the boy's neck…because he could hear the frantic heartbeat like it was thunder in his own ears. And the scent, oh fuck, the scent! He smelled like a freshly grilled tenderloin steak with a side of fresh tomatoes and parsley.

Yami felt Kaiba tense behind him, and the pale hand in his grip became iron hot.

_Steak!_ Kaiba thought wildly, his composure slipping when he realized he'd been staring too long. The student was inching along the wall, getting further away from them as he eyed them with caution. His round eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and incredulity.

"He'll do?" Yami asked knowingly, seeing a muscle jump in Kaiba's cheek as he nodded.

The spiky-haired student was already at the end of the hall, whispering fervently to his two friends who were lighting up another cigarette.

"Yo, Yugi, where'd you go?" Tristan asked, sticking the cigarette in his mouth and clicking the lighter on.

"And did you manage to sneak more of those tiny cakes like we asked ya' to?" Joey added heatedly, snatching the lighter from Tristan's hand and keeping it clenched in his fist. "Don't hog the lighter. It's mine!"

"You gave it to me, so it's mine!" His friend shot back, taking a short puff and blowing into his face, and Joey growled.

Yugi stood anxiously beside his two friends, throwing the gay couple a look over his shoulder before hastily turning back around. His heart thudded nervously in his chest when he thought he'd made eye-contact with the taller man.  
Those two were…so openly holding hands…!

Kaiba ground his teeth and gripped Yami's hand tighter. Shit.  
His food was being contaminated by that horrible stench. Something was smelling horribly sour, and rotten, which, combined with the scent of cigarettes, was causing Kaiba's stomach to churn with disgust.

He felt Yami give him an encouraging nudge at his side.

"If you can pull him away from those two, I can get us a room in the meantime," Yami whispered, releasing Kaiba's hand and stepping out of the hallway. "See you in the main lobby. If it takes longer than five minutes to draw him away, we'll find another one."

The steak-scented human was surrounded by two werewolves who looked vaguely familiar, and Yami didn't want to be recognized.

"But I don't want another one," Kaiba breathed, his mouth watering heavily as he ached from the memory of digging into a tender steak. "I want _that one."_

Yami said nothing and smiled. He turned and gave Kaiba a wave, seeing Kaiba striding towards the group of students, and he reassured himself that it would be fine. Kaiba was motivated. He would do it correctly and hopefully perform better when he wasn't being watched.

After all, he had survived by himself up until this point, so Yami decided he needed to have more faith in the CEO.

Joey blinked rapidly and nudged Tristan in the ribs when a tall businessman approached them with murder in his cold, blue eyes.

Yugi turned around, startled to see the handsome man towering before them, looking furious. The man's partner was nowhere in sight, and it seemed like this tall businessman wanted to shout at them for breaking the rules.

"Ah…we-we're sorry for smoking here!" Yugi cried, bending himself into a frantic bow of apology. "Please don't report us!"

"Holy shit," Tristan muttered, chewing the end of his cigarette so hard, the glowing tip bobbed up and down erratically. "Is this guy…that billionaire?"

"I'm not sorry," Joey said brashly, giving Kaiba the finger. "Fuck off, freak. Mind yer own business."

Kaiba sneered coldly at the blond and made steady eye contact with him, speaking evenly, "Smoking is bad for you. It'll start to feel like you're inhaling fire. Put it out."

Joey narrowed his eyes at the businessman for a long moment, ignoring him pointedly and taking a deep inhale, just to piss him off. After a split second, he froze, and the cigarette fell from his lips. He sank to the floor on his knees as he coughed and gagged violently, clawing at his throat while his eyes watered.  
His insides were on fire!  
Joey hung onto Tristan's leg, gasping for breath.  
His throat was searing with a horrible burning, and his chest was impossibly tight.

"Dude, are you okay?" Tristan kneeled beside him, thumping him on the back and glaring up at the neatly dressed businessman, his blood running hot and cold with a mixture of fear and anger. "What the fuck did you do to him, you asshole?!"

"Down, boy. Heel," Kaiba replied coldly, reminding himself not to roll his eyes because he had to keep staring…into the brown-haired boy's aggressive glare.

Tristan froze, his body trembling with protest before he dropped down on all fours and stuck his tongue out, panting like an excited dog.

Yugi bit back a frightened gasp but couldn't bring himself to do anything.

Joey and Tristan had always been mean to him…so he couldn't help but feel like they deserved it, just a bit.

Smiling triumphantly to himself, Kaiba stepped over Tristan and crushed the still-burning cigarettes under his heel, fully aware of the steak-boy still watching him.  
Well…shit. He had fucked up.  
Yami was right.  
He needed to be less forceful.  
Besides, the horrible cigarette stench was putting him off the thought of food anyway.

Kaiba brushed past the steak-scented boy silently and held his breath, not wanting to inhale any more rotten fumes coming from the two smokers. Time to get the fuck out of here.

Yugi backed away and let the man pass, catching a whiff of something sweet as he passed, and he kept his gaze fixed intently on the man's slender shoulders.

Joey was still coughing weakly at his feet, and Tristan was turning around in circles on all fours, searching for his tail to chase.

"W-Wait!" Yugi cried, hearing his own voice shake as he dashed forward to follow the man, his feet seemingly moving on their own. "…Please!"

Kaiba swallowed thinly and paused mid-step, hearing footsteps rushing up behind him, so he dared himself to hope. Maybe he didn't fuck up.

"Thank you?" Yugi breathed, gazing up at the handsome man with wide eyes. "Are you a performer? A hypnotist? I mean, we have tickets to see the show later tonight, but I didn't really think anything of it!"

Kaiba let his breath out in a thin sigh of relief and he turned to face his steak dinner with a charming smile.

"Did you want to see more?" Kaiba prompted, catching another heavy whiff of the savory scent, and his stomach churned. Oh fuck. Why didn't any of the previous girls smell like this?  
Did men taste better? Or was it just this guy who smelled like steak?

Yugi nodded before he stopped himself and threw a look over his shoulder at his two classmates. Joey was slapping Tristan across the face, and received a loud bark in return.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yugi asked nervously, and he unwittingly turned to gaze into the handsome man's face again, feeling his cheeks burn with a strange longing.

"He'll snap out of it soon," Kaiba said plainly, and almost as if on cue, Tristan sat back on his heels and scratched his head angrily, confused.

"What're you doing?" Tristan cried, seeing Joey with his hand raised to slap him again. "Wh—fuck off man! Don't hit me!"

Yugi winced and turned away, listening to his friends jostling playfully behind him. How…embarrassing!

"Ditch those losers," Kaiba said warmly, pointing a slender finger towards the hallway leading to the main lobby. "Come with me. We'll have some fun."

_And I get to treat Yami to a steak dinner,_ Kaiba growled to himself, trying to contain his excitement.

Yugi hesitated for a moment before he found himself nodding, agreeing with enthusiasm. His heart leapt into his throat with anxiety as he wondered what had happened to his own body, and why he was so willing to follow his stranger away from his friends.

Kaiba walked a few steps forward and realized the spiky-haired boy wasn't following him. Dammit.  
Was the 'pressure' too light? But he didn't want to make this guy sleepy either….

"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, advancing on the student with his eyes narrowed, and he remembered a trick he'd forgotten to apply. "I never got your name."

"I…I don't think I should leave my friends," Yugi confessed sheepishly, lowering his head to stare at his shoes while the tips of his ears turned red. "Besides, your…boyfriend must be waiting for you."

"My boyfriend?" Kaiba echoed incredulously, thrown off guard for a second before he realized this guy had probably seen him holding hands with Yami, and his heart soared with pride. "Yeah, he's pretty great."

"I see," Yugi replied awkwardly, turning redder and redder by the second. "Well, see you…!"

"Wait!" Kaiba commanded, his heart racing angrily in his ears as he saw the boy freeze and slowly turn his head to gaze fearfully at him. Ah, shit.  
The boy was scared of him.

Dammit, dammit…dammit! How did fucking Yami do this?!

"Before you go, tell me your name," Kaiba said quietly, and Yugi felt himself nod.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Yugi Mutou," Yugi said, bending forward in a polite bow before straightening up to look into the man's face, which he realized instantly was a mistake, because a set of the clearest, bluest eyes he'd ever seen, drilled holes into him, causing him to shiver slightly.

"Yugi," Kaiba repeated, smiling a little when their eyes met. He held the gaze for as long as he could, listening to the rapid heartbeats coming from the other man. "Come meet my…boyfriend. He's a fucking rock star. Ever heard of him?"

"No…I…can't say…I have," Yugi replied dazedly, swaying slightly on the spot when the handsome man's voice seemed to reverberate in his bones. Oh god…this feeling…it was like, he was _in love_ with this random stranger!  
Worst of all, this stranger had a pretty boyfriend who was a foreign celebrity.  
They both looked like celebrities, it didn't matter!

"You won't regret it," Kaiba smiled, wider this time, feeling his fangs poking him excitedly along his inner lip, and he held his hand out invitingly. "Come with me."

He watched with joyous triumph as the spiky-haired man steadily placed his hand into his palm, sending a warm jolt of electricity up his body.

YES! Dinner secured!

"Uh…. Yugi?" Tristan called, elbowing Joey in the ribs while his blond friend kept trying to relight his cigarette. "He's dangerous! Yugi!"

He was ignored, so Tristan leapt to his feet and raced over to grab Yugi by the arm, trying to pull him away from Kaiba's grasp.

"Fuck off! He's ours!" Tristan hissed, seeing Kaiba turn to him with a dangerous glint in his eye that made his blood run cold. "Did you forget about the agreement? He's under our protection! Leave him alone!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kaiba scoffed, giving Yugi's hand a firm tug and feeling the boy weaken in his grasp. "I don't make agreements with peasants who smell like filth."

Joey rushed to Tristan's side with his fists raised. "A big-shot with fangs, eh? Let our friend go, or we'll tell on ya' to your king!"

Yugi blinked, trying to clear the odd haze that had settled over his head.  
Everything felt really far away…  
Why were his friends yelling at this handsome man about kings and queens?

"My king?" Kaiba sneered, his blood boiling with impatience. "You haven't learned your lesson yet? Maybe you'd like to go for a swim…_overboard_—"

"Fuck you!" Tristan hissed, stepping in front of Kaiba to break his eye contact with Joey. "Leave us alone! We'll tell Bakura, I swear! We're not scared of him, or you!"

The sour stench of wet dog grew overwhelming the moment the brown-haired teen stepped nose-to-nose with Kaiba, and he wrinkled his nose in disdain. This guy reeked of fear…and something else disgusting.

"King Bakura said any humans under our protection can't be fed on," Tristan recited nervously when he realized the blue-eyed vampire wouldn't back down. "Leave Yugi alone. You guys are always trying to kill him! So, last chance to fuck off."

"Who said I wanted to kill him?" Kaiba asked stiffly, giving Tristan and the blond an offended look. "I'll give him back. Calm the fuck down, and…_shut up."_

Tristan opened and closed his mouth frantically, pressing his hands to his throat and giving Joey a frightened look.

"You're evil," Joey spat, seeing Yugi swaying at Kaiba's side with a dazed look on his face. "He's helpless! Look at him! …C'mon Tristan. Let's go find a way to contact Bakura."

Allowing Joey to drag him down the hall, Tristan made sure to give the tall vampire both his middle fingers and an ugly face. They were no match for this guy even though there were two of them. Poor Yugi had to hang in there until they called reinforcements.

"Where…are they…going?" Yugi asked, feeling oddly dizzy as the ship seemed to sway under his feet. "I might be…getting seasick."

"I think you need a drink," Kaiba replied fluidly, smiling to himself as he led Yugi out of the hall and towards the main lobby.

Yugi was in a strange trance. Everything around him was oddly bright, and his body felt light, and floaty, as if he was walking on clouds, being escorted through a beautifully furnished lounge and into a crowded area where many duelists were milling around.

Nothing mattered except for the handsome man's wonderful cologne spilling over him like a flowery blanket. And their hands…they were touching. Their fingers were laced together, so openly…was this okay?

_Come on, Dinner, walk faster,_ Kaiba urged silently, almost dragging the steak-scented boy towards Yami who was leaning casually against the wall at the far end of the room, shielded by a large, potted plant.

Yami nodded approvingly, his mouth watering with excitement when he saw Kaiba leading the cute boy towards them by the hand. He looked dazed, but mostly alert.  
Very good! Kaiba had done it! What a feast!  
They were having a romantic steak dinner together for their first meal.

"Hello," Yami said warmly, reaching his hand out for a friendly shake, and Yugi merely gaped at him, unable to piece together how he felt.

This man was _beautiful!_

His hair was a wonderful eruption of three different colors, and his dark, violet eyes had a mysterious aura about them. His jaw was sharp, and his tanned complexion made his cheekbones glisten handsomely underneath the chandelier lights.

Looking nervously back at the tall businessman, Yugi swallowed thinly, wondering what he'd done to deserve the company of these two dangerously pretty men.

Yami lowered his hand carefully, not wanting to interfere with any hypnosis Kaiba may have already tried on him. He gestured down another hallway, flipping a sliver card out of his pocket with two fingers, smiling mischievously.

"We got a room upgrade," Yami said steadily, giving Kaiba a meaningful nod. "It's a double suite!"

"Great," Kaiba replied emptily, his stomach churning with hunger. "Let's eat."

He tightened his grip around Yugi's hand and half-dragged him down the hallway after Yami's slender form, his skin tingling with anticipation. He had just eaten less than an hour ago, but somehow, he was so…fucking…hungry….

They turned a corner and a large hallway opened up before them with a set of double wide doors at the end. Yugi's eyes widened, finding it harder and harder to refuse.

His hand was glued into the businessman's palm, and his feet were carrying him forward with surprising swiftness. Before he knew it, he was standing inside a large, luxurious room with a set of minimalist sofas coupled with a large bed, a kitchenette, and a wet bar in the corner beside the balcony window. Enormous screens hung on the walls, and they all displayed the ship's welcome message.

Trying to clear the awful haze at the front of his mind, Yugi stared so hard at it, it left green spots in his eyes.

Kaiba noticed his food zoning out, so he stepped in front of Yugi and gazed heavily down into his half-lidded eyes.

"You want something to drink," Kaiba said evenly, seeing Yugi blink once, slowly. "How about a wine?"

He was starting to get the hang of using commands without making the subject sleepy. The key was to say it like he really meant it and maintain heavy eye-contact at the same time.

"I'm not…thirsty," Yugi replied faintly, watching the spiky-haired man walk through another door and disappear. "Thank you for inviting me…I need to leave now—"

"Sure," Kaiba replied carelessly, walking over to the wet bar and throwing Yugi a handsome smirk. "After a drink…. because _you are thirsty_."

"I'm not," Yugi protested, and the moment those words left his mouth, his throat became scratchy and dry. Oh…crap. He was in trouble! He was being hypnotized by this man!

Yami finished exploring the suite and appeared behind Kaiba, giving Yugi an appraising up and down look, wrinkling his nose at the heavy werewolf scent lingering on the boy's body.

"They've marked him," Yami said, his disappointment rising. "That's unfortunate. Let's give him back."

"It's fine. He just needs to be cleaned and marinated," Kaiba replied, thoroughly unfazed by the shocked look on Yugi's face.

A good meal took careful prep-work.

"Marinated?" Yami raised his eyebrows in amusement, and Yugi was relieved to see that this handsome man was on his side. "Well, don't take all night because I'm getting hungry. Mokuba might be asleep by the time you're done _marinating._"

"Sure, I'll hurry it up," Kaiba said, and he turned to stare aggressively into Yugi's wide eyes. "Want a bath?_ You smell...like a wet dog."_

_I-I do?!_ Yugi thought anxiously, feeling himself sweat. _I smell like a wet dog! Gross!_

"Yes. You smell like those two bozos you hang out with," Kaiba explained patiently, leading Yugi by the arm through the suite and into a lavish, spacious bathroom with a sloping ceiling where a thin, crystal chandelier hung elegantly above them.

"Ah…the smoking," Yugi stammered, wondering if it was rude to…take a bath…in a stranger's luxury suite?! But it was so nice in here! Everything glistened, and the "bathtub" was more like a community pool. It sunk into the ground and had four silver spouts hanging off from each side.

Two showers were encased against the wall behind panes of frosted glass, and Yugi's skin itched with invisible grime.

M-Maybe just a quick wash, because…it was rude to smell bad.

"Hurry up," Kaiba commanded impatiently, his nostrils burning the longer Yugi stayed standing there doing nothing. "Take it off. Your clothes smell too."

"I-I'm sorry?" Yugi squeaked, and he hastily shrugged off his blazer and unbuckled his belts, letting them fall to the floor with a heavy clink. It was as if he had been possessed. His hands moved by themselves, unbuttoning his pants with alarming speed so he could step out of them.

His bare feet touched the stone floors and Yugi shivered, standing in the middle of the bathroom, stark naked, wondering why he wasn't more ashamed, because he usually hated changing in front of other people in the locker room at school, so why…didn't it feel weird now…?

The handsome man swooped down to pick up his clothes, but not before dropping a towel over them to use as a barrier so he could avoid touching them.

"You better be wet by the time I get back," Kaiba said threateningly, nodding at the showers behind Yugi's head. "Get in the shower, now. I'm burning these."

"But that's my school uniform!" Yugi cried, and his own voice echoed back to him inside the bathroom as the door slammed, leaving him alone in the ringing silence.

Yami was sitting on the couch lazing around when Kaiba stormed out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen to unceremoniously dump Yugi's clothes into the large sink to run water over them.

"Water won't get it out," Yami replied lazily, clicking the remote with a slender finger, biting back a yawn. "If he 'hangs out with them' like you mentioned, the scent is in his hair and in his skin. He's not_ tainted_, but…almost inedible."

"Oh, he'll be more than edible when I'm done with him," Kaiba replied with furious determination. "Shit. This _is _a uniform. Fuck."

"What?" Yami said, smiling at Kaiba's enthusiasm. "Is every meal you prepare going to be filled with cursing and bathing? It's too troublesome. Let's go find another one."

"Shut up and let me think," Kaiba snapped, feeling as if he was being nagged by a housewife…his housewife. If he wasn't so hungry, he'd be more in the mood for playful banter.

Spotting the phone on the table on a desk by the balcony, Kaiba rushed towards it and snatched it up, dialing for room service.  
He knew how to fucking prepare a meal, dammit.  
He was Seto fucking Kaiba, and even though the meal he was consuming had changed in nature, it didn't mean it suddenly rendered him inept.  
He could figure it out somehow and show Yami he knew his shit.

Inside the bathroom, Yugi stood under the water, feeling sleepy.

He had been done showering several minutes ago but realized he had nothing to wear when he got out because his clothes had been stolen.

_I'm in trouble,_ Yugi thought glumly, switching the water off and stepping out.

He scanned the beautiful golden shelves for something to wear, and he draped the fluffy towel over his head, finding nothing but stacks of towels.

Crap….

He paced a solid circle around the bathroom before a door caught his eye, and he made his way towards it, swinging it open to peek inside, relieved to see five silk white robes hanging on silver hangers.

Oh! Nice!

Grabbing one hastily, Yugi pulled it on and patted his neck dry, now wondering if he could find a hairdryer in this enormous cavern of a bathroom.

A knock sounded at the door, and Yugi jumped, startled.

"How are you doing in there?" Yami called, hearing the human's heartbeat thump frantically in his ears. "Don't be scared. Come out and have a drink."

"Don't call him out here," Kaiba snapped, setting the phone back down into the cradle. "He's only been in there for ten minutes."

"You're frightening him," Yami said lightly, plopping himself back on the couch with a sigh and crossing his legs. "Be careful with the hypnosis. You don't want to cause amnesia."

Kaiba said nothing and swung the bathroom door open, wrinkling his nose at the scent still stuck to Yugi's body. The boy was standing timidly before him, wringing the robe in his hands and smiling sheepishly.

Fuck.  
Of course, Yami was right again.  
Water didn't work.  
Then…alcohol was next.  
If that didn't work, then maybe they needed to find a priest for some holy water, because damn, it reeked of wet dog. Those two annoyances had really gone out of their way to mark this guy.

"Stay here, don't move," Kaiba said numbly, and he turned to race back towards the wet bar, pulling out multiple bottles of wine and scanning the labels.

Steak…went well with red wines. There were a couple bottles here that might work. But damn, he didn't want to waste it pouring by it all over the boy's body. He wanted to drink it along with the steak. It looked like he would have to sacrifice one of the bottles.

He grabbed the bottle opener and pried the cork off with the cheaper bottle ease. After catching a whiff of the alcohol, Kaiba's lungs gratefully expanded at the delicious scent of the wine.

Then he rose to his feet and grabbed Yugi by the hand, leading him to the bathroom sink and holding his hand over the faucet, gently pouring a healthy amount over the backs of his knuckles.

"Uh—Ah, wh-what are you doing?" Yugi whispered, and his stomach dipped to the ground when Kaiba pressed his hand to his lips and inhaled deeply.

_Wh-What the heck?!_

Kaiba ground his teeth, growling in frustration when he could still smell a lingering, sour stench masked by the floral scent of wine.

God…fucking dammit.

"D-Does your boyfriend know you're doing this?" Yugi cried, hearing his voice echo in the bathroom, and he dimly hoped the other man would come in to save him, but…no one came.

Instead, a loud knock echoed from the door, and a stranger's voice called out, "Service!"

"I got it," Yami called blithely, rising off the couch to answer the door.

Pulling it open, a man wheeled a silver cart into their room and bowed stiffly, glancing around nervously to ask, "I was told to take the dry cleaning?"

"Dry…cleaning?" Yami repeated, confused for a moment before he nodded and pointed at the sopping mess of clothes in the sink. "Ah, yes. Those. And go quickly, please. They reek."

The man bobbed his head politely before he scooped the pile of clothes up in his arms and backed out of the room, shutting the door with a quiet _click,_ and leaving Yami to stare at the odd assortment of items Kaiba had ordered.

Various bottles of wine were on the lower basket of the cart, and on the top was an assortment of sliced fruit…and cooking oils.

K-Kaiba wasn't going to roast the human over a fire for real, was he?

_I should talk with him before this gets out of hand,_ Yami thought darkly to himself, just as Kaiba strode out of the bathroom dragging a confused Yugi behind him.

"Oh good, it's here," Kaiba said. He reached for the olive oil and nodded at Yami. "Get me a bowl from somewhere."

"Kaiba, I don't think this is a good idea—" Yami began, but he stopped himself when Kaiba's eyes gleamed hungrily at him.

"This will work. Trust me," Kaiba hissed, nodding at the cupboards in the kitchen. "Get the largest bowl you can find."

Sighing, Yami did as he was told and returned with a giant crystal bowl, which he set on the table in the center of the room. Kaiba pulled Yugi towards it before he unscrewed the cap from the glass bottle of oil and poured it all into the bowl.

"Um…Maybe I really s-should go now," Yugi stammered frantically, trying to wrench his hand out of Kaiba's iron-like grip, but it was too late. His hand had already been submerged in the bowl of oil, and he winced at the strange feeling.

What was happening?! Did these two want to call him inside their room and do strange things to him?! Oh crap. He was really in trouble now!

"Wait," Kaiba commanded, and he lifted Yugi's hand out slowly, letting the oil drip off his fingers before reaching for the sliced fruit on the top of the cart and placing it across his slender knuckles.

"…Two minutes should do it," Kaiba muttered to himself, fully aware of Yami sighing and shaking his head at him. "You'll thank me for this later."

"I was just thinking we should return him to his friends," Yami said firmly.  
He was going to put his foot down at this nonsense.  
He knew Kaiba sorely missed eating real food, so of course, Yugi's blood was the most enticing thing at the moment, but there were other humans out there who also smelled and tasted good.

"No, I can't. This is my absolute favorite," Kaiba breathed, lifting the slab of fruit off of Yugi's hand and lifting it to his lips again to take a tentative sniff, closing his eyes to savor the moment.

Finally. A warm, delicious, floral scent engulfed him comfortably, followed by a heavy, savory scent of sizzling meat.

The sour stench had vanished.  
He had done it!

"Yami, it worked," Kaiba said excitedly, opening his eyes and meeting Yugi's gaze with intensity. "I said you'd thank me. Come here."

Yugi shook his head nervously, his cheeks steadily turning pink at the strange role-play these two were subjecting him to, but his legs had frozen in place, rooting him to the spot.

Yami half-heartedly bent down to give the back of Yugi's hand a sniff, feeling absolutely ridiculous before he was completely thrown off guard by the wonderful, crisp scent of cooked meat that was paired cleverly with the tang of wine and a hint of fruit at the end.

Yugi drew in a breath and held it, his heart pounding nervously in his ears when the handsome, spiky-haired man leaned down to also smell his hand. Oh god, oh god!  
These two were weird! Who was weirder? It didn't matter!  
They were both weird, and they kept talking about eating him!

Yami's stomach curled with excitement and hunger, and he gave Kaiba a handsome smirk.

"Very well. You win," Yami conceded, licking his lips sensually and feeling his body burn with longing. "You're very clever. Now, we feast."

"No, we can't," Kaiba corrected him darkly, giving Yugi's hand a squeeze. "He reeks everywhere else. This is just his hand."

Yami sighed heavily again, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. At this rate, they would be having dinner at sunrise.

"Hey," Kaiba growled, letting go of Yugi and advancing on Yami, giving his cheek a gentle brush with the backs of his knuckles, and enjoyed the blond bangs spilling over his fingers. "I want this to be fucking perfect…for us. Don't you think we deserve a nice meal, to celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?" Yami breathed, daring himself to look into Kaiba's clear blue eyes so he could sink into their depths.  
This was painfully cute.  
Kaiba was trying so hard to be…romantic.

"We're celebrating us, what else?" Kaiba scoffed, and he turned away from Yami to face Yugi with a hungry grin. "Get in the bath but don't turn on the water."

Yugi grit his teeth and used all of his strength to shake his head, but he only managed to turn his head a fraction of an inch to the left. Oh…crap.

"Stop. That's not how you do it," Yami said gently, stepping in front of Kaiba with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Let me help with the meal preparation, won't you?"

"Fine," Kaiba replied shortly, crossing his arms haughtily. "But the order is oil, fruit, then wine. Don't fuck it up."

"We won't," Yami replied playfully, grabbing Yugi by the arm and leading him gently back into the bathroom. "Come, boy. What is your name?"

"Y-Yugi…" Yugi squeaked, his heart doing somersaults in his chest when the beautiful man gave him a dazzling smile.

Oh fudge.  
He was in trouble.  
What was happening?!  
And why was he being led back into the bathroom even though he'd just showered?

* * *

**Author's note:**

UH OH yugi is about to be eatennnnnnn

Its no wonder Joey and Tristan 'protec' yugi. Its cuz he smells like a whole meal and looks like one too :D gosh he must've been vampire bait his entire life. Poor yugi.

Kaiba had to go to ExTRa lengths to 'marinate' his steak lmaoOooo

chapter edited by the diligent: chocolateyeti

-ugli


	12. Chapter 12

Yami patted the edge of the stone step by the empty hot tub encouragingly.

Yugi sat down beside him, his heart fluttering wildly inside his chest the moment their eyes met, and he had to look away. Too intense. Their eye contact was too intense.

"You'll have to excuse him," Yami said gently, giving Yugi's hand a warm squeeze. "This is his first meal—I mean, the first time he's been so excited about meeting someone…new!"

Yugi blinked and realized his voice had vanished, so he continued to stare, hearing the bathroom door swing open, and to his rising horror, the tall businessman walked in, carrying a plate of fruit along with the bottle of virgin olive oil in his slender fingers.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't like this type of thing," Yugi said anxiously, and to his dismay, he was ignored by both men, so he pressed on with another question. "I didn't get your names…"

Kaiba threw Yami a nervous look.  
Shit. He couldn't tell this guy his real name, could he?  
Seto Kaiba was supposed to be dead.

"Yamada," Yami said instantly, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"_I'm _Yamada," Kaiba insisted, sitting down on Yugi's other side, unconsciously pressing his leg against Yugi's hip.

"You can't steal my name," Yami shot back, feeling Yugi tense beside him. "Think of your own, or are you that uncreative?"

"Fine, then my name is Taro," Kaiba rolled his eyes and uncapped the olive oil quickly. "Give me your arm, Yugi."

"W-Wait…your names are Yamada and Taro?" Yugi asked incredulously, biting back a laugh. "It's okay! You guys can tell me your real names!"

"Not a good idea," Kaiba answered shortly, reaching out to grab Yugi's arm and rolling the sleeve of his robe all the way to his shoulder. "The less you know, the better."

"We'll give you back with your werewolf friends after this oil bath," Yami said reassuringly, grabbing Yugi's other arm and slathering a generous amount of oil over his skin, his mouth watering intensely at the sweet scent. God, he was so hungry…he hadn't eaten since yesterday.

"W-Werewolf friends?" Yugi squeaked, trying to pull his arms away from both men, but they held him steady with iron-like force while their hands roamed dangerously higher. "You mean Joey and Tristan?"

"Is that what they're called?" Kaiba replied emptily, fixating on the enticing vein protruding from Yugi's forearm, and he grew dizzy at the thought of sinking his teeth into his soft flesh. "Nice names for a couple of rabid pets."

Yugi's fear rose to an all time high when he thought he saw sharp teeth protruding from underneath the handsome, brown-haired man's lips, and he looked away hastily to gaze at the spiky-haired man instead. That was a mistake, because his angular violet eyes had narrowed into dangerous slits, and he was glowing with an eerie aura.

_I'm in trouble…_Yugi thought weakly, feeling the robe slide off his shoulder, exposing his chest, and two pairs of hands slid across his front and began lathering oil across his nipples.

"He's soft here…" Yami whispered, splaying his fingers over Yugi's flat chest and sliding his palms over a soft, pink peak. "I can't wait."

"Look at this," Kaiba grinned, using two slender fingers to gently tug at Yugi's nipple, causing the peak to turn bright red, and Yugi squirmed, letting out a frightened shout, but it only made the two men laugh heartily at him.

Growing uncomfortably hot all over, Yugi realized his body had turned to jelly because he could no longer protest or fight back. The robe was pulled off his body and tossed aside. Oil was drizzled between his legs and all over his stomach, and tanned hands pried his knees apart gently, slowly slicking oil down his calves while pale hands swept over his stomach with slow, sensual motions.

_Oh god…no…no! I'm getting an erection! _ Yugi bit the inside of his cheek so hard, his eyes watered when his dick slowly began to stand at attention, and he earned another amused chuckle from the pretty, spiky-haired man.

"Very good choice," Yami praised Kaiba, his eyes never leaving Yugi's slender penis. It looked so adorable between a pair of trembling legs.

"You like him there?" Kaiba asked conversationally, reaching for the oil and gazing half-heartedly at Yugi's erection. "Should I put some there too? Whose do you like better? Mine or his?"

Yugi shook his head wildly, his eyes wide, never leaving beautiful, pale hands which were coated thinly with oil and already reaching for his crotch. He tried to angle his body away, but the spiky-haired man snickered at him and pushed him closer to the other man.

"I'll have to taste to see," Yami answered playfully, his vision fading in and out when the scent of Yugi's skin grew stronger the longer the oil was setting in. "Your 'marinating' tactic works wonderfully."

"Yes, I'm a fucking genius," Kaiba said seriously, unceremoniously grabbing Yugi's erection and giving him several slow strokes up and down, hearing Yugi gasp and double over. He tried to tuck his knees into his chest, but Yami's arms atop his thighs kept his feet on the step.

He was too hungry to be aroused, but he could tell Yugi was enjoying it at least.

"Stop that," Yami swatted Kaiba's hand away and inched down on the step so he could place his chin teasingly on Yugi's knees, gazing happily into his round face. "Thank you for the meal."

"I—" Yugi opened his mouth to protest and his voice caught terribly in his throat when the spiky-haired man surged forward and took his dick in his mouth, sucking vigorously, sending violent shocks of pleasure down his body, causing his legs to twitch.

The blue-eyed man reached for his face and tilted his chin up, pressing a firm kiss down on his parted lips, and Yugi found himself drowning in a wonderful, musky sweetness washing over him like a warm wave. His mind hummed and shut off when a silky tongue dipped into his mouth, and the spiky-haired man at his crotch gave his dick a particularly hard suck, causing him to spasm and almost orgasm.

Kaiba leaned away from Yugi and licked his lips, pleased to discover that the boy tasted fresh.  
Good. He was almost ready to eat.

"Stop sucking his dick!" Kaiba gave Yami a nudge with his knee and reached for the plate of fruit beside him and handing Yami a thin slice of cantaloupe. "Put these where you want to start biting him. The flavor will change."

Yami wordlessly accepted the fruit and placed it carefully on Yugi's inner thigh, seeing it slide off and nearly hit the ground before he caught it, and frowned.

Yugi shivered at the coldness and wondered where his voice had gone, and why he couldn't move his arms or legs in protest. It was like he'd become their mute, rag doll toy.

"Lay him down," Kaiba suggested, already standing and picking Yugi up by the armpits. "Put him on the side here and it'll stay on his body."

"Of course, of course," Yami said mindlessly, his stomach knurling painfully with hunger as he helped Kaiba pick up Yugi's legs and drape them onto the side of the hot tub. He noticed Yugi shivering and he placed a gentle hand on his cheek, sparing him a smile.

"We'll return you soon," Yami coaxed, brushing a strand of Yugi's spiky-haired bangs out of his cheek and his heart clenched strangely at their resemblance. "I'm very fond of you, so we won't hurt you."

Yugi grit his teeth and said nothing, his breath quickening with fear when the brown-haired man began methodically laying slices of fruit on his body, sending cold streams of fire down his legs every time a piece of fruit accidentally slid off.

This was the weirdest sex play ever!  
He'd never thought he'd be subjected to this kind of thing…ever, in his life.  
Had he been drugged? Was that why he couldn't move or speak?

"We're frightening him," Kaiba muttered, hearing Yugi's heartbeat increase when he gently placed two slabs of watermelon on his nipples. "Does he hate it or like it?"

"Don't know," Yami answered simply, leaning down to give Yugi's neck a deep sniff, and he listened to the rapid heartbeat increase tenfold. "I can't hear his thoughts. Can you?"

_He's going to kiss me! He's going to kiss me!_ Yugi panicked, straining his toes and feeling his legs remain numb while he stayed flat on his back. _They're…raping me!_

"Fuck…" Kaiba ground his teeth and sat back on his heels, his heart sinking into his stomach. "He thinks we're rapists."

"Then we'll make him forget," Yami said darkly, his tongue itching for a bite. "Is he ready now? How long does the fruit need to stay on?"

"Long enough for the sugar to sink into his skin so you don't taste the dog scent underneath," Kaiba growled, pressing a thumb and forefinger to his temple, hating himself for impulsively kissing the stranger.  
An erection did not mean consent.  
Yami had licked his dick too.  
Damn. They'd fucked up.

Yugi began to hyperventilate, his eyes tearing up at the corners while gazed up at the elegant ceiling, flexing his arms and trying to move. Why…was this happening?  
Who were these people and why did they want to do such weird things to his body?!  
They were monsters…wearing beautiful people's skin!  
He should've never left Joey and Trsitan's side.

_Let me go! Please, let me go! _Yugi begged silently, and he wondered if he should start crying. He was already pretty close.

"Oh…no, please don't breathe like that. You'll faint," Yami muttered, placing a warm hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Don't be frightened. What do you want to know? We'll tell you. Our names? Kaiba, tell him."

_K-Kaiba?!_ Yugi cried silently, wiggling his toes in distress, causing a slice of papaya to slide off his knee and land with a wet slap on the stone tiles.  
Did he mean, Seto Kaiba? The billionaire!

Kaiba threw Yugi an apprehensive look and nodded, staring into his round, violet eyes, answering with a resigned sigh, "Yes. I am Seto Kaiba."

"And my name is Yami," Yami said gently, adjusting the watermelon slice on Yugi's chest. "We don't want to hurt you. We're both very hungry, and after we've had our fill, you can go back to your friends."

_Had your fill of what?_ Yugi wondered desperately, and he tried to move his knees away but to no avail. Kaiba's slender fingers slid the fruit off his legs and gathered them neatly back onto the plate.

"Now, let me have him!" Yami hissed, curling his hand around Yugi's wrist, feeling the boy tense in response. "We're frightening him with all of this…nonsense."

"Wait here, I'll get the wine," Kaiba nodded, his eyes gleaming. "This is a real feast we need to savor."

Yami gave a Kaiba withering look and nodded. "Hurry up," he said plainly.

Kaiba rose to his feet and bent down to swiftly press a kiss to Yami's forehead before walking out of the bathroom, and Yugi finally felt like he could breathe again.

His lungs expanded gratefully, and he let out a weak cough.

"What …do you guys want?" Yugi whispered hoarsely, and he received a dark look from Yami.

"To feast on you," Yami replied honestly, resting a hand on Yugi's pale thigh and feeling himself burn all over with a strange longing. "Can we? What can we do to make this experience more comfortable for you? Because you look and smell…delicious."

"T-Thank you?" Yugi swallowed thickly, eyeing the bathroom door and mildly dreading Kaiba's return. "You won't…hurt me?"

"No. It won't hurt at all," Yami said, nearly biting his own tongue on that lie, but he reminded himself to stay realistic. Even if his meals talked and looked adorable, he couldn't continue starving. He had to feed. It was just this poor, unfortunate boy's turn to be fed on.

"Can you show me…how?" Yugi asked timidly, noticing Yami's expression darkening quickly. "I promise I won't scream or cry if you guys…are nice to me."

"Very well," Yami agreed, nodding and reaching for Yugi's hand to give it another tender squeeze. "Look into my eyes…and listen…to the sound of my voice. Your…hypnosis earlier…was possibly…too strong…. Now, is this better…?"

Yugi blinked sleepily, immediately feeling a wonderful calm washing over him as Yami's deep voice seemed to reverberate in his bones. This was…so nice. His body was so warm, and…Yami's hand on his was…so comforting.

"I'm going to…" Yami leaned forward and hovered his lips over the bridge of Yugi's nose, letting his pheromone cloud engulf him, and he saw Yugi's lower lip tremble enticingly.

_Is he going to kiss me?!_ Yugi thought nervously, licking his lips with a quick flick of his tongue when he caught a deep whiff of the man's musky scent. _Do I want him to kiss me?_

The man's eyelashes were impossibly dark and long, and his eyes were deep and beautiful.

Kaiba stood at the doorway of the bathroom, carrying two glasses of wine in one hand and the bottle in the other, watching Yami hover teasingly over Yugi's lips, and something possessed him to speak.

"Kiss," he said, rolling his eyes, kicking the door shut behind him with a bang.

Yugi jumped in fear, and Yami, unfazed, leaned forward to capture Yugi's lips in a tight, passionate kiss, growing warm all over at the unique, fresh taste, and it made him ache for more. Hungrier than ever, Yami cupped Yugi's face and dragged open-mouth kisses down his jaw and neck, pausing for a second over the pulsing vein, feeling Yugi trembling in his grasp before he bared his fangs and sank them into the soft, heavenly flesh.

The savory, delicious nectar flooded Yami's mouth, and he breathed a steady sigh of relief, taking a deep gulp, his head spinning with ecstasy when the painful curling in his stomach subsided.

Lost in an odd foggy haze, Yugi slowly wrapped his arms around Yami's slender shoulders, enjoying the way he was being kissed down his neck. He didn't mind this….

Yugi's eyes widened when he saw Kaiba approach and set the wine down by his feet and kneel beside him, reaching out to grab his arm and trailing his nose down from his forearm to his knuckles, the hot breath sending tingles up and down his spine.

He felt Kaiba turn his hand palm facing upwards and something sharp stung him in the middle of his wrist, and he immediately grew lightheaded.

Hands were sliding down his sides, and Yami's tongue was traveling lower…lower, past his collarbones, down the center of his chest and stopping at his navel.

"Oh…he tastes…and smells…amazing," Yami breathed, throwing Kaiba a grateful look over his shoulder. Kaiba groped his ass in response, blue eyes searing through him while he still had Yugi's hand pressed to his mouth.

Licking his lips excitedly, Kaiba reached for the wine and poured Yami a healthy portion and handed it to him, toasting him with his own glass raised.

"To our first meal together," Kaiba said quietly, fully aware of Yugi's half-lidded gaze following his every move.

"To your cleverness," Yami replied cattily, giving Kaiba a wink before taking a sip, and mouth tingling at the welcome change of flavor. Delicious. The dry tang from the wine helped balance the thick, savory taste of Yugi's blood.

Yugi stared, watching the two men set their glasses down on the edge of the hot tub and turn to him with matching, eerie smiles.

"How do you feel?" Yami asked, itching for another bite, and Kaiba reached out to grab Yugi's other hand, pressing his nose into the center of his palm and taking a deep whiff.

Yugi's stomach curled strangely, and he wished he wasn't naked.

"…Sleepy," Yugi answered truthfully, and to his rising horror, he saw a flash of the sharpest, most threatening-looking fangs protruding from Kaiba's teeth before they disappeared into his skin just above his wrist.

Yugi drew in a shuddering breath and saw Yami lean forward to lick the drops of blood streaming down his forearm, and he grew lightheaded again.  
Oh god. Oh god.  
These guys were…vampires! Like, from mythology! But real!

The sight of Kaiba's tongue dragging across his skin was enough to make him hard, and Yugi looked away, blushing.

A hand snaked across his vision to wrap around the back of his head, tuning him back around to gaze into a pair of the clearest, blue eyes he'd ever seen.

"Have a drink," Kaiba said evenly, raising the wine glass to Yugi's lips with his other hand, and Yugi shivered when he felt Yami tounging the skin on his shoulder, slowly traveling up to his neck again to land soft butterfly kisses.

The glass tilted against his lips, and the sting of alcohol made his nose burn.  
Yugi swallowed tentatively and felt himself warming up instantly. His head was jerked to the side by a pair of tanned arms, and he found himself being kissed sensually. The metallic taste of his own blood was heavy on Yami's breath, and Yugi blinked rapidly, unsure of what to do when his heart danced excitedly. He was being kissed…again. It was so warm, and so nice…

Suddenly, the warm feeling vanished and Kaiba's face appeared in his vision, his pale skin glowing under the chandelier lights as he drew closer and pressed his lips tightly against his cheek, flicking his tongue out teasingly before trailing his lips over his nose.

There was a slight pause, where Yugi thought Kaiba would pull away, but then their lips met gently, but firmly, and Yugi's stomach churned with arousal at the wonderful, flowery scent washing over him. Kaiba smelled much more inviting than Yami did, but…Yami's touches were enough to make him leak at the tip.

"Let me have him…" Yami breathed, almost wanting to shove Kaiba off of Yugi, but he received a stiff elbow to the chest, keeping him at bay. "Kaiba…!"

Huffing in annoyance, Yami rolled his eyes and hopped into the empty hot tub, grabbing Yugi's legs and trying to pull him closer to the edge, his gaze nailed to the slender erection jutting out from his body. Without giving it a second thought, Yami dipped his head down to take Yugi into his mouth, his eyes watering when he felt a hand come down in his hair and give him a hard yank upwards.

Yugi let out a cry when he saw Kaiba wrestle Yami away for his dick, glaring and hissing, "He doesn't like it! Who said you could do that?"

"I did!" Yami shot back, his chin slick with saliva, and his mouth itched for more of Yugi's unbelievably fresh taste. "You gave him to me! You can have your turn here after I'm done."

"I said you could have the first bite, not suck his dick," Kaiba snapped, his vision turning white when his head spun with a strange dizziness. "Get away from there."

"I did it earlier and you didn't seem to care," Yami protested, slyly reaching for Yugi's erection again to test Kaiba's patience. "Wait your turn. You're a nasty drunk."

_W-What?_ Yugi wondered faintly, unable to compose himself further because Yami had shoved his head down between his legs again, giving him firm but steady swirls with his tongue, sending wild shocks of pleasure streaming down his legs so much that he felt like wetting himself.

"Fine, then I get the first fuck," Kaiba growled, rising to his knees and giving Yugi's back a firm pat. "Get up."

Yugi shook his head frantically, his chest swooping as Kaiba picked him up anyway and propped him up unsteadily on his knees. He could feel himself swaying as he tried to remain upright, but his body wouldn't let him.

"Stay up," Kaiba commanded, and Yugi stiffened automatically, his heart thundering nervously in his chest when he saw Yami reach eagerly for his stiffness and give it a playful tug, so much that his foreskin stretched over the head of his penis, sending warm shivers down his legs.  
That…looked too x-rated. Was someone really doing that to his body?

Yugi blinked and felt teeth sting his ear. He opened his mouth to yelp but his voice had vanished once again. The strange hypnosis was blanketing his body as Kaiba's hands roamed down his sides, giving his ass a firm grope and spread.

"Kaiba…look at him here," Yami snickered happily, palming Yugi's balls with one hand and pushing them up against his body, enjoying the way they spilled out of his fingers. "Yours aren't this soft."

"Shut up," Kaiba growled, reaching his hand down between Yugi's legs to blindly pat his testicles, just to see if Yami was lying, and holy shit…they were fucking soft.

_Ahhh…Ahhhh! H-Help!_ Yugi cried silently, his thighs trembling so much, his entire body was vibrating. Glancing down at his own body, it looked so wrong, but it felt…good?!

Kaiba's and Yami's hands were insistent, non-stop touching him everywhere, and everything was oddly slick, and smooth with all the oil that had been applied to his body earlier, so much that every pass of their fingers over his hole and his slit made his body burn with a pleasurable fire.

Suddenly, a finger slipped into his hole and Yugi clenched tightly in fear, catching a reassuring smile from Yami beneath him before he felt a second finger prodding inside him, gently stretching his hole wider before thrusting inside with agonizing slowness. He could feel Kaiba's every ridge and knuckle sliding in and out of him, filling him up and then emptying him again.

_I can't…take it anymore!_ Yugi shut his eyes and convulsed roughly, climaxing into Yami's mouth in a sudden rush the moment Kaiba's fingers pried him wider, and something warm began prodding at his lower back.

Yami's eyes watered when Yugi's essence flooded his mouth to fast and took quickly, but he kept his lips tightly around the head of Yugi's dick, intent on drinking every drop, because the fruity taste of his semen combined with the wonderful tang from his blood made his head rush with ecstasy.

Yami dimly heard Yugi's plea, so he leaned his head away from Yugi's twitching stiffness and gave Kaiba a meaningful look.

"He says he can't take it anymore," Yami said warningly, noticing a familiar, gleeful look panning across Kaiba's face as he poked Yugi's asscheek with his erection. "Leave him alone back there."

_Don't put a dick in my ass!_ Yugi pleaded silently, fully aware that Yami could understand and hear him in his thoughts. _Please! I'm a virgin! I don't want this! That place is for someone special!_

"_I'm_ fucking special," Kaiba snapped, flexing his thighs angrily before he sat back on his heels, relenting. "Fuck."

Yugi had said the most boner-killing words in the history of mankind.  
_"I'm a virgin."_  
And he clearly wasn't enjoying any of it. Fuck.

"Any chance he's lying?" Kaiba asked aggressively, rising on his knees again, giving Yugi's lower back a threatening prod with the head of his dick. He couldn't seem to control his own horniness. He'd been consumed with lust, and his head spun happily at the thought of a good fuck after a meal.

_I'm not lying! I'm really not!_ Yugi widened his eyes at Yami pleadingly, and to his relief, he was being ignored. Yami was smiling hungrily at Kaiba's dick, already reaching for it with a clawed hand to give it several long, loving strokes.

Kaiba let his breath out slowly, his eyes never leaving Yami's fingers curling around the head of his dick, enjoying the warm streams of pleasure trickling down his legs with every touch. His head spun with a strange dizziness, and Yami gave him a knowing look.

"You're drunk for the first time," Yami smirked, giving Kaiba's penis a teasing squeeze. "That would explain your sudden eagerness."

_Sudden?_ Kaiba wondered. He couldn't really feel a difference. He just felt horny and wanted to cum, because sex after a meal was one of the best feelings life could offer.

"Let our meal go, alright?" Yami asked gently, pulling Kaiba closer to the edge of the hot tub and letting him drape his legs along the inside. "His friends miss him. We'll play together just fine without him."

Kaiba set his jaw, realizing he was being lured into a trap.  
Yami had his dick in his hands and had stopped pleasuring him.  
If he agreed to let his delicious steak dinner go back to his friends, he could receive an amazing hand-job in response. If he disagreed, he would have to finish himself off.

"But I want to eat him again," Kaiba said numbly, his chest constricting with conflict.  
If he let Yugi return to the werewolves, he'd reek of their scent once more.  
All his hard work, undone, just like that.

"We'll find someone else!" Yami insisted, his cheeks burning when he realized Yugi was listening intently to their every word. "You'll find another meal equally as delicious."  
And deep down, he doubted this.  
In all his years living as a vampire, there were children who didn't nearly taste as good as Yugi did. Yugi was indeed one-of-a-kind, and Kaiba had done well to snag such a treat as his first meal. It was understandable he'd want to keep Yugi around as a…pet meal. A staple.

Kaiba ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, contemplating shaking his head, but his dick throbbed angrily in protest, so he nodded, deciding he'd hunt Yugi down repeatedly anyway. How large was Japan?  
His security systems could see it all.  
He would agree to let Yugi go…for now.

Yugi watched with bated breath as Kaiba leaned down to kiss Yami deeply, and Yami's arms draped languidly over Kaiba's shoulders, pulling him in closer.

Inching away from them, Yugi eyed the door, wiggling his fingers and toes to make sure his limbs still had feeling before he tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't hold him, so he merely managed to push himself up on all fours as Yami and Kaiba's heavy pants filled the air around him.

Wincing and blushing, Yugi kept his gaze nailed furiously to the door, intent on escaping.

There were two pinpricks that were still bleeding on his forearm, and it stung every time he moved, but he ignored it.

If he didn't get away now…he would not live to see tomorrow.

A cold hand wrapped around his wrist, restraining him briefly. Letting out a soft cry, Yugi tried to jerk his hand out of Yami's grasp, but he wasn't strong enough. He froze, horrified when Yami spit on his wound and gave him a brief, lustful stare before he disappeared between Kaiba's legs again.

Deeply mortified, Yugi hugged his arm to his chest and couldn't tear his gaze away from the sight of Yami giving Kaiba a slow, loving lick, taking the entire length in his mouth and sucking on it happily while Kaiba had his head thrown back blissfully, his mouth parted, his pale neck exposed to show a sharp adam's apple jumping up and down with excitement as he gasped for air.

W-Was it that good? Yugi's face burned furiously, and he forced himself to look away.

Get out the door.  
Get back to Joey and Tristan  
…Get out the door….

But his legs wouldn't move. His knees were stubbornly glued to the tiles.  
M-Maybe he needed to crawl to his escape.

Rough shuffling sounds were coming from behind him, followed by a lewd, wet, squishing, and Yugi grit his teeth so hard, he saw green. Y-Yuck!  
Well, at least they were fucking each other and no longer touching him.

He chanced a glance behind him and immediately regretted it.

Yami was straddling Kaiba, his slender form outlined magnificently in the warm lights of the chandelier above while he hovered his slick asscheeks over Kaiba's trembling arousal, their eyes locked firmly onto each other, neither man speaking before Yami slowly lowered himself down onto Kaiba's stiffness and let out a satisfied sigh, closing his eyes and shuddering happily when Kaiba tentatively bucked his hips upwards, sending a violet shock of ecstasy running up and down his stomach.

"Don't…do that!" Yami hissed, splaying his hands out over Kaiba's muscular chest and giving his nipples a long, torturous pinch. "Let _me_ move!"

"You took too damn long!" Kaiba shot back, his head swimming with a pleasurable haze as Yami's handsome face seemed to glow in his vision. "Fuck me."

"…Wait…" Yami breathed, tensing tightly around Kaiba's dick, trying to allow his body to grow accustomed to the thickness. It was their first time connecting like this...and Kaiba was high off his first blood, so he wanted to rush, and of course they were shamelessly doing it in front of their meal who was fully conscious, remembering it all.

Yugi squirmed uncomfortably and slowly rose to his feet, screaming silently in triumph to himself as he took unsteady steps towards the door, his robe sliding dangerously off his shoulders as he went, but he didn't care. Time to get away from those two freaks behind him!

His erection ached between his legs, and Yugi ignored it, his body burning with determination. Door. Door! It was so far away…yet so close….

And oh god, the sounds of pleasurable sex coming from behind him was so…g-gross! Dare he look?

Yugi tentatively turned his head around against his own better judgement, and nearly fell over with shock.

Yami was viciously grinding his slender hips down onto Kaiba's dick with one hand pressed over his eyes, hissing at him, "Did you just try to _pressure me_, you asshole?! That will never work!"

Unable to form a coherent response, Kaiba grit his teeth and let out a shuddering gasp, his chest heaving with excitement when his world was thrown into darkness, and his body was repeatedly rocked with rough thrusts, the heat from Yami's hole nearly melting his legs off.  
Holy fuck. Holy fuck! This was amazing.  
Pissing Yami off mid-sex was…heavenly.

Yugi's hand slid off the bathroom door handle as he sank to the floor, his tip leaking wetly and drying fast the longer he sat there, watching.

He'd watched porn—gay and straight porn, but nothing he'd ever seen looked like this.

The amount of raw emotion being displayed was terrifying and…desirable. Would he ever find someone to share this connection with?

Hugging his knees to his chest, Yugi tucked his chin over them and rocked back and forth, praying his boner away while the lewd pants seemed to make his dick itch to be touched.

No….  
NO…this was so wrong!

Kaiba pried one eye open with effort and reached his hand up to cup Yami's cheek, pulling him down into a fiery kiss, and felt him respond enthusiastically with fangs grazing his lower lip and a silky tongue against the roof of his mouth. An orgasm was building low in his stomach, and Kaiba tensed, feeling Yami's tongue stabbing repeatedly in and out through his lips while he rammed his hips down harder, grinning impishly.

"Had enough yet?" Yami asked breathlessly, his own cheeks pink with exertion, and his thighs burned from all the rigorous thrusts. "You're exhausting me."

Propping himself up on his elbows, Kaiba threw Yami a playful smirk and was barely able to prepare for the passionate kisses trailing down his face and neck, ending with a solid bite on his collarbone that made him shudder. He chanced a glance at the door, wondering if his meal had escaped, and to his relief, he saw Yugi staring at them with wide eyes, his fingers loosely wrapped around his dick, looking as if he wanted to jerk himself off.

Running his hand up Yami's bare leg, Kaiba tilted his head in Yugi's direction.

"He's interested," Kaiba said, his chest heaving with excitement. "Bring him over here. I want to taste him again."

"Again? Don't overfeed," Yami frowned, thinking he really needed to have a talk with the Kaiba brothers about gluttony. "You'll hurt him."

"I want to taste his dick, not his blood," Kaiba growled, shuddering happily when Yami's legs tensed around his hips almost painfully. Well…who was being jealous and possessive now?

"I didn't say you could do that," Yami breathed, his pulse thudding rapidly in his ears at the thought of Yugi sitting between them, and his bloodlust got the better of him. "Fine. But you do as I say, or it's over. Do you understand?"

"What's over?" Kaiba shot back innocently, but his chest curled when he understood. They had to be gentle towards their meal otherwise…they'd scare him off permanently.

Yami slowly eased off of Kaiba's erection and saw Kaiba gasp and curl forward, climaxing suddenly at the loss of pressure, and he watched this with interest, sliding his hand forward to stroke Kaiba through his orgasm, letting Kaiba reach down and grab his wrist, stopping him from stroking it any further.

"Too much…. too much!" Kaiba gasped, his vision turning green when Yami showed no signs of stopping, clearly intent on milking him for all his worth. It was causing his body to shiver and convulse with tight streams of pleasure that was almost painful, and Kaiba hissed angrily, prying Yami's hand away from his crotch and wishing he'd had more control over when to climax.

"Come here," Yami called to Yugi, briefly forgetting his name for a moment before he remembered. "Yugi. Please, come here and join us."

Yugi shook his head tightly before slowly nodding once.

He stumbled over to the men lying by the edge of the empty hot tub and sank onto his knees in a formal sitting position beside Kaiba's head, feeling extremely awkward with his dick poking out so obviously from his body.

"What do you want to do?" Yami asked gently, shooting Kaiba a warning glance when he saw the CEO's pale thighs tense excitedly. "You can decide. Or you may leave."

"I—" Yugi's voice caught painfully in his throat before he was interrupted rudely by Kaiba.

"Sit on my face." And he received a boyish grin from the handsome CEO.

Yugi paled and wrung his hands nervously, trying to cover his erection when his heart fluttered anxiously at Kaiba's dirty words. W-What? How?!

"We agreed to let him decide," Yami fumed, reaching out to shove his hands roughly between Kaiba's legs to grab his balls tightly, squeezing them with threatening pressure. "Control your power. You are at a high right now. You need to conserve it until your next meal."

"I can have a snack to keep me going," Kaiba retorted, turning his head slightly to stare at Yugi's erection hovering way too close to his ear. "Right…Yugi? Sit on my face."

"Yes, shut him up," Yami added, sounding frustrated. "Go on. Do whatever you want to him, Yugi. He's very obedient when he's like this." And he gave Kaiba's balls another tight squeeze, earning a manic laugh in response that made his hair stand on end.  
He had not prepared himself for a Kaiba who was terrible at handling his own blood-drunkenness.

"O-Okay…" Yugi said shakily, sliding one leg over Kaiba's pale chest and straddling him tightly with his back facing Yami. He stared down at his own his dick which was nearly poking Kaiba in the chin as he sat nervously atop his chest, gazing down into his clear blue eyes, his mind growing hazy again.

_Higher…yes, closer…. higher…_Kaiba thought gleefully, his eyes never leaving Yugi's much rounder ones as he inched up along his face, the head of his dick resting teasingly on his lower lip while his thighs trembled adorably beside his cheeks.

"Having fun?" Yami asked coldly, raking his eyes down Yugi's slender back and feeling himself burn all over. Such a small body….

_Wish I had a pillow_, Kaiba thought deliriously, angling his head up to flick his tongue teasingly into Yugi's slit and tasting his wonderful freshness. _Damn. I really need something behind my head…_

Yami heard his and hastily climbed up to hover behind Yugi, gently reaching down to grab his hands, lacing them tightly around Kaiba's head and tucking his chin over Yugi's shoulder, looking down to see Kaiba's maddeningly gleeful expression.

"Now…move your hips forward to put yourself inside his mouth," Yami instructed, giving Yugi a warm hug from behind and pressing his fingers in through the tops of his hands, feeling Kaiba's hair spilling out over his knuckles.

_I-Is this really okay?_ Yugi thought wildly, before he was shoved forward by Yami behind him, and Kaiba's head surged forward with his mouth parted, taking his dick into his mouth while his hands moved to support Kaiba's head craning upwards. The tops of his knuckles burned when Yami jerked his hands inwards, pulling Kaiba's head closer, tighter down along his dick. Yugi let out a strangled gasp, feeling a slick tongue sliding up and down aggressively, in and around the head of his penis, causing his head to spin and his ears to ring as searing shocks of fire and ecstasy streamed down his legs.  
H-Holy crap!

Kaiba shut his eyes and lost himself in the wonderful musk blanketing him. His mind hummed happily and shut off when he felt Yami reaching for his sensitive erection and slicked a hand up and down along it's raw surface, eliciting another rough shiver.

_Hey…hey, I can't go again!_ Kaiba thought angrily, opening his eyes to glare, but all he could see was a neat patch of pubic hair …leading up to a very slender and smooth stomach. Oh fuck.

Yami wasn't listening. Oil was slicked down his balls, and a finger slipped into his hole with merciless speed, twisting and stretching him with excitement. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck…

"Yugi…do it faster," Yami instructed somewhere from below, and Kaiba held his breath and tried to shake his head, but it was too late. Yugi obeyed instantly and shoved himself so tightly up against the back of his throat, Kaiba's eyes watered, barely able to breathe while something warm and thick began filling him wonderfully from the bottom up.

W-Wait….wait!

Curling his fingertips down onto the tiles, Kaiba grabbed blindly at nothing while Yami entered him in one smooth motion, and he kept his eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling, not really seeing anything while Yugi pounded relentlessly into his mouth. He…_could feel_…everything!

Every one of Yugi's breaths was sweet, and his essence had a fruity tang that coated his tongue every time he leaked excitedly, and Yami seemed to match Yugi's pace almost perfectly, groping his ass sensually and spreading his cheeks apart, wider, to shove himself in to the hilt, so much that Kaiba could feel Yami's thighs pressing into him, trembling with joy.

It was…  
It was…heavenly.  
Kaiba never wanted it to end.

He shakily reached up to wrap his arms around Yugi's legs which had raised up around his head, while Yugi had a look of deep concentration etched across his handsome features, gripping his head with both hands, wearing a frenzied look of terrified desperation.

"Can I cum? I want to cum!" Yugi cried, his knees giving out as he began to slowly sit back down onto Kaiba's chest. "W-Where can I—?"

Kaiba huffed irritably in response and clamped his lips down tighter around the base of Yugi's arousal, thudding his tongue along the underside of his dick while Yugi gave him several more firm thrusts before a delicious, hot liquid rushed into mouth and slid thinly down the back of his throat.

Swallowing frantically so he could breathe, Kaiba could barely enjoy the flavor before Yugi pulled out too fast and began apologizing rapidly.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't hold it!" Yugi whispered, and he was ignored.

Kaiba had his head thrown back on the stone tiles with his brown hair splayed messily across them while he enjoyed Yami's passionate thrusts that were filling him with a wondrous elation, each one different from the last, sending his mind reeling into a pleasurable abyss, and his body tensed heavily in response when he came in a sudden heave, the semen splashing wetly down Yugi's back while he sat there atop his chest, frozen in shock.

Yami gave Kaiba several more spiteful thrusts before he pulled out slowly, panting and exhausted.

He leaned himself down on the ground beside Kaiba, his chest heaving up and down while he gave Yugi a weak smile before leaning down to kiss Kaiba tenderly, his lips moving softly over his.

A pale hand reached up to pull him closer down into the embrace, and Yugi watched this scene with rising trepidation.

His stomach was twisting with conflict, because he felt weirdly ignored.

Finally, after Kaiba and Yami broke apart, Yami was the first to address him.

"How do you feel? Need to lie down?" Yami asked anxiously, noticing that Yugi was usually pale. "Please eat and drink something before you leave, won't you?"

"And stay for breakfast," Kaiba added, throwing Yami a dark smirk, and he received an exasperated look in response.

"You'll kill him," Yami said seriously, and Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"Like how you killed me?" Kaiba shot back, hoping to touch a nerve, and it appeared he had, because Yami's demeanor changed instantly, morphing from a relaxed, joyful pose to a stiff, guarded one.

He rose to his feet and walked into the shower without another word, leaving Yugi sitting quietly atop Kaiba's chest while he fumed silently to himself.

Yes.  
All fun and games aside, all of his current actions were a painful reminder that he'd gone overboard with feeding and had unknowingly changed Kaiba into a dangerous companion.

When they returned to Domino, hell was waiting for him in the form of Thief King Bakura.

"You made him mad," Yugi whispered, staring at the foggy silhouette behind the glass doors of the shower, his voice nearly drowned out by the deafening rush of water.

"Yeah, I'm good at that," Kaiba muttered, giving Yugi's leg a pat. "Get off me."

Yugi obediently slid off of Kaiba's chest, his cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and interest as he watched the CEO rise unsteadily to his feet and walk into the empty shower stall beside Yami's.

He sat there, staring at the two stalls, wondering which one he ought to walk into.  
Sharing the shower was fine…right?  
After all, they'd done something way more intimate than just showering together….

* * *

**Author's note:**

*yamada taro is the Japanese equivalent to john smith, so  
Yami is john and Kaiba is smith LMAO

this chapter was edited by:ChocolateYeti

leave a comment if you wanttt

hugs,

Ugli


	13. Chapter 13

Yugi hesitated for a moment before deciding to walk into Kaiba's shower. He pulled the glass door back and tentatively stepped inside, feeling the hot water grazing his leg before he caught a long stare from the handsome CEO.

"I-I'm sorry…I'll leave," Yugi whispered, changing his mind instantly. He'd originally thought that he ought to avoid Yami because he was angry, but he'd forgotten how dangerous Seto Kaiba could be on his own.

"No, you can stay," Kaiba said slyly, reaching over Yugi's shoulder to shut the glass door with a _clang _that echoed around them. "I'll help you. Come here."

"Help me with what?" Yugi asked suspiciously. Three tiny towels were rolled nicely, arranged together in a stack, and he saw Kaiba grab the topmost one and unfurl it, holding it out for him to use.

"Your back," Kaiba said plainly, draping the cloth over Yugi's shoulder, reaching up to give his blond bangs a playful pinch. "Turn around."

On the other side of the glass, Yami narrowed his eyes and watched as Yugi placed his palms against the divide and leaned forward, allowing Kaiba to drag the washcloth down in smooth motions, gently cleaning him.

Grinding his teeth, Yami realized Kaiba was still intent on biting Yugi even though he was full. Newborn vampires were so…troublesome!

Yugi glanced over his shoulder nervously, feeling an odd calm settle over him as Kaiba diligently washed his back, and his cheeks grew warm. Th-This was kind of nice….

He nearly slipped when Kaiba pressed into him too hard, and his thighs grazed the glass divide briefly. Shivering, Yugi leaned away from it, seeing Yami's slender silhouette with his arms crossed, watching them on the other side. There was too much condensation to see Yami's expression through the fog, but Yugi could feel him frowning at them.

A cold hand caressed his asscheek, and Yugi shivered, waiting for Kaiba to be finished, but to his rising apprehension, the washcloth fell to his feet, and a hot tongue flicked out over the shell of his ear.

"W-Wait…are you finished?" Yugi asked nervously, feeling Kaiba's hands come up around the sides of his face to turn his head to the side for a kiss, and their lips melted against each other in a warm greeting. Yugi's knees trembled, threatening to give out when Kaiba's tongue grazed his lower lip, and his head spun with excitement and confusion.

Was this okay? Yami was watching them and not doing anything.  
The kissing felt nice. And Kaiba was…handsome…

Yami's frown deepened when he saw Kaiba kiss Yugi, and he shut the water off so he could listen to their thoughts. Yugi had been pressed up against the glass so much, Yami could see his palm prints leaving marks, and his erection was outlined clearly through the fog as Kaiba leaned into him from behind, his pale hands roaming over every inch of Yugi's slender chest.

Shaking his head, Yami stepped out of the shower to grab a towel, hearing Yugi's voice drifting through his head.

_F-Feels good…! Is he gonna touch me in f-front?_

Letting out a sigh, Yami walked across the bathroom to grab a towel and a robe, drying himself off and wondering when Kaiba would be satisfied. He'd known vampires who enjoyed playing with their meals before and after feeding. Of course Kaiba would be the type of vampire to reward his humans with sex after being fed on.

Yami sat down on the stone bench beside the door and crossed his legs tightly, listening to the sound of their panting echoing through the bathroom. He would stay and make sure Kaiba didn't hurt the human too much, because the sun was rising soon, and they needed to give him back.

Kaiba opened his mouth and rested the tops of his teeth against Yugi's pale shoulder, holding back enormously when he felt the urge to bite down. He wasn't hungry…just horny. He had to learn to separate the two.

Reaching down Yugi's front, Kaiba gave his erection a steady stroke, enjoying the way Yugi shivered and leaned back against his body, their skin slipping on each other as the water continued to cascade down their backs.

"Can't stand?" Kaiba asked quietly, reaching behind him to shut the water off overhead. "What do you want? Tell me."

Yugi struggled to put his feelings into words as Kaiba pressed a tight kiss against his cheek and he shut his eyes, trying to speak.  
He wanted to cum. But he also wanted to feel safe…knowing that Kaiba wouldn't take things too far.

Kaiba heard this faintly, so he turned Yugi around slowly and pulled him into a tight hug, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart beating against his chest. He felt Yugi slowly raise his arms to return the hug and hang onto him with equal force, causing a bubble of warmth to rise up inside him and sit comfortably low in his stomach.  
Fuck. Yugi was sweet and a little naïve.  
The resemblance he bore to Yami was arousing too.  
He was softer…cuter…

Yami heard this and rolled his eyes, grinding his teeth in frustration. It was not comforting to hear himself being compared to Kaiba's current favorite meal.

Sliding down onto his knees, Kaiba pressed his nose into the soft curves where Yugi's thighs met and stared up the erection jutting up over his head. Cute.

He surged upwards to take him into his mouth, giving it a long, slow suck and earning an excited gasp from Yugi.

Gentle hands came down into his hair and stroked it. Kaiba's stomach turned strangely, but he ignored it, intent on enjoying himself to the fullest when he felt Yugi twitch inside his mouth, and he gave him a powerful suck, feeling Yugi's thighs tremble under his palms.

He bobbed is head and rubbing his tongue lewdly into Yugi's slit and felt fingers curling in through the tops of his hair before a rush of semen caught him completely off-guard, and Kaiba swallowed the thin fluid, noting that it was still sweet, but there wasn't very much of it, and…that had been very quick.

"I-I'm sorry!" Yugi stammered, his vision swimming in and out of focus as he swayed on the spot from the residual shocks of his orgasm. "I couldn't—I didn't…should I have said something?"

"This is why I don't fuck with virgins," Kaiba muttered to himself, and he felt Yugi tense with embarrassment underneath him before relaxing again.

"I'm…not a virgin!" Yugi protested, his face flushing with anger. "You just did it to me!"

"Yeah? And that was…what, your second time?" Kaiba scoffed, reaching for the water again and switching it on. "Please."

Trying to hide his annoyance at Kaiba's tone, Yugi let him run the hot water down the front of his body before shutting it off again. He received a slight shock when he saw Yami standing by the glass door, holding out a pair of robes and towels for them.

Yugi stepped out of the shower and accepted the clean towels gratefully, draping them over his wet body to hastily dry himself off, seeing Kaiba do the same and slip the robe on with ease.

"Is there any wine left?" Kaiba asked, gazing into Yami's face and looking for signs of anger, pleased when he realized he'd been forgiven. "I'll open another bottle for us."

"You should check on Mokuba," Yami said evenly, reaching for Yugi's arm and pulling him out of the bathroom. "I'll bring him back."

Yugi pressed a hand to his mouth to suppress a yawn, and Yami caught this instantly.

"Where is your room? Do you want to rest here instead?" Yami steeled Yugi over to the bed and sat him down firmly on the edge. "I will get you food, and water. Please behave as if you'd just had your blood drawn at the hospital. If you feel faint, please tell me."

"I-I'm fine!" Yugi protested, startled by the sudden hospitality. "I'm sharing a room with my friends, and it's my turn to sleep on the fold-out couch—"

"You should make the dogs sleep on the floor where they belong," Kaiba said coldly, and he received a sharp glare from Yami.

"Kaiba, for someone as young as yourself, you sound as if you have centuries of ingrained prejudice against them," Yami said tiredly, sitting beside Yugi. "Don't be elitist. Werewolves are people too."

"Then why do they reek?" Kaiba snapped, striding over to the silver cart and plucking a sandwich off the bottom basket and tossing it at Yugi. "If they're _people,_ they should act like it."

"We're not any better than they are," Yami fumed, curling his fists at his sides. "Recall what we just did to this poor boy here. They wanted to _protect him,_ and we ruined that."

"Guys? I'm…okay," Yugi said timidly, but he was ignored.

"Who says I want to hurt him?" Kaiba ranted, feeling his temper flare suddenly. "Why do they think we want to hurt him?"

"We think we're not hurting anyone, but we_ did_ hurt him!" Yami raged back, feeling Yugi tense beside him. "Ask him yourself!"

"Are you hurt?" Kaiba rounded on Yugi, seeing him blink rapidly at him and shake his head stiffly once.

"See?" He snapped at Yami, and Yami shook his head sadly.

"If not this meal, then the next!" Yami insisted, his ears burning red as he tried to explain. "I hurt you while feeding on you, didn't I? You see? I did it unknowingly!"

"You didn't hurt me," Kaiba said coldly, planting his feet apart and giving Yami an appraising look. "You made me invincible. I am now better than ever. I _feel _more alive than I've ever been."

"Yes…as one does, after feeding," Yami sighed, no longer wanting to argue. "Now, do you want to check on Mokuba, or shall I?"

"I'll go," Kaiba growled, sweeping out of the room in his robe and not bothering to get dressed. "If I'm not back in an hour, come find me."

"Very well," Yami said tiredly, nodding as Kaiba left the room and slammed the door behind him.

A ringing silence followed, and Yugi patted Yami's leg awkwardly.

"I'm really okay," Yugi said, trying to convince himself more than anything. "I feel fine. I'll eat something and take a nap. Can I…have my clothes?"

"Room service will return them when they've been cleaned," Yami replied shortly, rising to his feet to grab the telephone on the desk by the window. "Get some rest. The sun is rising soon."

Yugi nodded and unwrapped the sandwich hastily, taking even bites out of it and chewing. His stomach growled happily in response and before he knew it, he'd finished it.

_Wow, I didn't know I was so hungry, _Yugi thought nervously to himself, eyeing the cart and seeing another sandwich on the bottom shelf. He got up and heard Yami call out to him.

"Sit back down! Where are you going? I will get it for you," Yami insisted, setting the phone back into its cradle and rushing to the cart to bring over the entire basket of food. He set it on the edge of the bed and watched Yugi dig around happily inside it, his cheeks pink with happiness at the sight of all the treats.

His heart skipped a beat, watching Yugi smile and hold up a bag of chips triumphantly.

"These were discontinued!" Yugi exclaimed, setting it aside and diving back down into the basket. "Nice! Kaiba-kun ordered all the good stuff."

Yami nodded absentmindedly as Yugi bit into another sandwich and began arranging all the snacks on the bed in a row, his eyes shining.

"You are close in age with him, aren't you?" Yami asked quietly, his chest tightening with emotion as Yugi nodded happily.

"He was enrolled at my school for half a year before he was pulled out," Yugi said conversationally, unwrapping a candy bar and biting off the tip. "I read a news article saying he graduated with honors from T university! I think he went to school overseas too, all while working. I don't really know."

"Is your school a…prestigious one?" Yami asked curiously, and Yugi shook his head, his cheeks pouched full of food.

"We're pretty normal," Yugi said, folding the wrapper neatly and scanning the room for a trash can. "I think high school wasn't for him. Kaiba-kun is way too smart for that."

Yami nodded, feeling the distance grow between Kaiba and himself. Kaiba must've unconsciously recognized Yugi in that moment.

The basket was pushed aside and Yami watched Yugi lay down contentedly and tuck his feet under the covers, curling up with a yawn. He glanced at the clock with one-eye open and froze.

It was 5:30 AM.

"Get some rest," Yami said warmly, giving Yugi's sheet-covered legs a pat. "I'll make sure there is food for you here when you wake up."

"Will you be here…when I wake up?" Yugi asked quietly, sinking into the pillows and feeling himself grow drowsy already. "Maybe I should stay up?"

"No," Yami said, shaking his head sadly. "We won't meet again."

Yugi frowned into his pillow, closing his eyes and asking, "Then what happens when you get hungry again? You'll eat someone else, right?"

"…Correct," Yami replied uneasily, wondering where this conversation was going. "Good night—"

"Then why don't you just keep drinking my blood?" Yugi asked faintly, already fading in and out of sleep. "If you like it so much, I'll just give it to you when you get hungry…"

"You might want to reconsider," Yami suggested gently, his heart doing an odd summersault in his chest at the sight of Yugi's angelic expression tucked under the covers. "But I'm sure Kaiba would love to hear you say that."

His reply was the steady rise and fall of Yugi's shoulders while he breathed evenly, and Yami sighed, gathering all the snacks back into the basket and setting it on the ground.

Might as well get some sleep in while he could to conserve energy.

Climbing into the bed, Yami laid down beside Yugi and turned away, staring at the door for a moment before shutting his eyes and letting himself drift off.

* * *

"Lemme go! Leave him alone!" Mokuba shrieked, struggling against the many pairs of arms holding him while a tall, white-haired man leered at Seto, who was doubled over on the ground, coughing after being kicked in the stomach.

Gasping for breath, Kaiba's vision turned red as he bared his fangs at the man he barely recognized. Wasn't he the freak from the hospital? Him and his group of hooded groupies were fanning out around the room, methodically opening all the drawers and closet doors, looking for personal belongings.

"The vampire with brown hair and eyes of blue," Bakura drawled, striding over to the window to gaze out of it before drawing the blinds with a snap. "You reek of freshness. Did you just feed? Ah yes, of course. You fed on the Gem of Domino. Yugi Muto."

_W-What?!_ Kaiba reeled, slowly getting to his feet and tensing, ready to lunge at the man to fight, but two other hooded men surrounded him on either side, so he decided to bide his time.

"So, the sable murderer has a child," Rishid, the man with scripture tattooed on his face muttered, giving Mokuba's arm a shake. "An unregistered child. How long has this been happening under our noses?"

"Are you aware?" Bakura asked softly, stepping so close to Kaiba, they were nearly nose-to-nose in height. "Yes, you are. You were there! You visited them…. after nearly killing them both. We're here to deliver punishment."

Kaiba blinked rapidly, his stomach churning. Oh shit. Were these people _vampire police?_

Was there a hierarchy? A society?

"Leave! Him! Alone! YAMI…HELP—" A slender hand came down and muffled his screams, and Ishizu took her hood off, glaring at the child.

"Who is he calling for? His mother?" She struggled to keep Mokuba quiet while Mokuba flashed his claws, but Rishid was quicker, restraining him with force and tackling him to the ground while he kicked and squirmed.

"Did the boy just call for '_Yami_'?" Bakura asked softly, and Kaiba felt the man on his left tense. "So, the _child-feeding_ _reject_ knows of these two? Of course. Of course."

"Don't speak ill of the fallen king," the man on Kaiba's left mumbled, and he received a sharp glare from Bakura.

"If you want to join him in exile, I'm not stopping you, Mahad," Bakura snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Anyone else want to say anything about 'the king', Marik?"

Kaiba felt the man on his right tense and shake his head.

Such fucking weird-ass names. How old were these freaks?  
Also, an hour had passed.  
Where the hell was Yami when you needed him?

"I can hear you, you _worm_," Bakura seethed, stepping in Kaiba's face again, his grassy scent nearly overpowering his senses. "You are hereby banned from the greater Tokyo area. Go live in the north or south, and you will encounter other, more _violent clans_ suitable to your _violent_ needs to kill and devour humans."

"OW!" Rishid cried, yanking his hand back when Mokuba bit down on the top of his hand and left two, long gashes across his skin. "This child is feral!"

"We don't wanna do that!" Mokuba shouted, finally breaking away from Isizhu and rushing to stamp his foot at Bakura. "We live in Domino—"

"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried warningly, his eyes wide with fear, but it was too late. Bakura heard this and leered at Kaiba.

"You live in Domino?" Bakura repeated gleefully, baring his fangs threateningly at Kaiba. "So, what I'm hearing is…you kill and eat where you sleep. _Barbaric._ We have something called honor, and this behavior is not tolerated here."

Kaiba ground his teeth and said nothing, understanding that he was in deep shit for mauling those two humans while in wolf form. Fuck. Did he need a vampire lawyer to get out of this one?

"And suddenly, he's mute!" Bakura crowed, running a hand through his hair and sighing, sounding refreshed. "Got nothing to say for yourself?"

"I'm paying for their treatment," Kaiba said evenly, willing his voice not to shake, and he received a mirthless cackle in response.

"How? By stealing money from the humans you feed on?" Bakura asked, sounding genuinely interested now. "May I remind you that that is also a crime. If I ever see you again, we will kill you slowly."

"Then we'll never see each other again," Kaiba scoffed, folding his arms across his chest firmly with his feet planted apart. "Let my brother go."

"Yes, yes, one last question," Bakura said absently, tapping his chin with one clawed index finger. "Who is your Keeper?"

The room fell eerily silent, and Kaiba shook his head, confused. What the fuck were all these words? He had no idea what any of them meant.

"Your Keeper, your Master," Bakura repeated impatiently, his voice growing colder by the second. "The person who gave you this life! What is their name? They'll be upset to hear what you've done, and I intend to tell them in great detail after your banishment."

"I said I'd pay for their treatment," Kaiba said, doing his best not to raise his voice because he had a feeling this white-haired man was more dangerous than Yami. "And I don't remember who gave me 'this life'. I only know how I died."

"Then someone was sloppy and didn't drain all the blood from your body!" Bakura hissed, whirling around to face his group who had all half-lowered their hoods, and Kaiba could see their faces clearly for the first time in the dim room.

There was a woman with sleek, dark hair plaited into two braids, and a bald man beside her with tattoos on his face. The man on his left was tall, had dark skin and sharp features, whereas the man on his right had blonde hair, and angular eyes similar to Yami's in shape.

Interesting. So this was a 'clan'. Were they related?

"You." Bakura hovered in his face again, and Kaiba stood his ground, swallowing thinly and doing his best to keep his expression impassive. "You may stay, only because you are atoning for your attacks. In the meantime, there will be a city-wide hunt for a rogue vampire who is turning people_. Goddamnit!"_

"So…we're not banned," Mokuba said dully, and Bakura loomed over the child with a swish of his purple cloak, sneering.

"Not_ yet_, baby boy," Bakura hissed softly. "Who is _your_ Keeper? Your big brother here? We might have to take you away from him if you continue to bite people."

"The one who saved me is Yami," Mokuba said firmly, and he heard odd grumbles and gasps echo around in the room.  
Uh oh.  
Was that the wrong thing to say?  
But he didn't want to be taken away from Seto!

"Interesting. And when did you die?" Bakura asked, suddenly sounding gentle and sympathetic, but Mokuba didn't fall for it and kept his glare steady.

"Yesterday," Mokuba lied, before he shook his head and frowned, deciding to add more vagueness to it. "No, the day before. Anyway, I ate for the first time yesterday. I don't really remember."

"Death amnesia," The woman with dark hair nodded. "How did you die, little boy?"

"A guy shot me in the head after I survived a plane crash," Mokuba growled, turning to glare at Isis. "And I'm not little. I'm gonna be thirteen soon."

Kaiba grit his teeth and felt a surge of pride. Good little Moki, reading the room and playing his audience well. They might just get away unscathed.

"A child killer, how terrifying. A good thing Yami was there," the man named Mahad muttered at Kaiba's side, and Kaiba clenched his fists in pockets, cursing silently.  
It looked like Yami wasn't going to come barging in to help them.  
It had now been an hour and thirty minutes.

"Yes, we all know Yami has a savior complex and enjoys biting children," Bakura said absently, waving a pale hand across his nose. "Little boy, you tell him he needs to register your existence with the Council the moment you return to the city. And as for _you_…"

Bakura rounded on him and Kaiba said nothing, standing his ground.

"You are on thin ice," Bakura growled. "Yugi Muto is off limits. Attacking people in the streets is against the treaty, and if I discover you are turning humans, I will personally drive a stake through your throat and leave you like that."

_Sure, fine, whatever._ Kaiba blinked and remained silent.  
The best thing to do was not start a fight in a room full of enemies.  
Not with Mokuba in the room.

"We leave at sunset," Bakura sniffed, waving Kaiba away with his hand. "Now get out of my sight. This room is ours."

"Fine by me," Kaiba said stiffly, eager to leave, he reached his hand out to his little brother. "Come on Mokuba, let's go."

"No! Leave the child," Bakura's fangs glinted threateningly as he sneered. "You are not his Keeper. You are a feral, violent being, not fit to be a guardian."

Losing his patience, Kaiba spun around and shot his arm out with lightning speed, aiming for Bakura's throat, his eyes burning as he glared daggers into the paler man when his fingers closed around his pale throat, and hands came up around his wrist, tugging weakly while gasping for air.

The people around him gasped, and Kaiba felt a vicious rush of triumph when he realized he was stronger, so he gave Bakura's throat a threatening squeeze, choking more air out of him while he heard Mokuba pleading with him, "Seto! S-Stop!"

"My brother stays with me…at all times," Kaiba said coldly, releasing Bakura and giving him a shove for a good measure, watching him stumble back clumsily before he was held upright by his men. "Good riddance. Come on, Mokuba."

Mokuba rushed to Seto's side and grabbed his hand, throwing the group of vampires a fearful look over his shoulder and seeing Bakura holding up a clawed finger to point at him accusingly, rasping, "Tell Yami to come see me, boy!"

Gripping Seto's hand tighter, Mokuba followed his older brother out of the room and down the hall, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"W-Were those bad guys, Seto?" Mokuba asked, and his response was Seto's grip tightening over his.

"Maybe. I don't know," Kaiba replied stiffly, wondering why everyone in that room referred to Yami as a 'reject.' He wasn't sure who he could trust now. That interaction only proved that he knew nothing about this new way of life, and Mokuba had almost been taken away from him.

He had to prevent that from happening in the future at all costs.  
Mokuba was all he had in this life.  
Hell, this was already his second life, wasn't it?

Time to get some answers.

They strode down the hall and Kaiba knocked on Yami's door, holding his breath and composing a rant inside his head.

Why do they call you a reject?  
What does 'fallen king' mean in the context of vampires?  
Also, you're a king and you didn't fucking tell me?  
King of what?

"Owwww Seto…that hurts," Mokuba whispered softly, trying to pry his hand out of Seto's grip. "Let go, you're squeezing too hard!"

Yami answered the door and pulled it back to let the Kaiba brothers in, noting that Kaiba's expression had considerably darkened.

"What happened—" Yami began but Kaiba didn't give him a chance to ask.

The CEO pointed to the other room and strode into it furiously, leaving Mokuba standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, eyeing the cart full of snacks longingly.

"I'll ask you," Yami sighed, nodding at Mokuba. "What happened that made him so angry?"

"Some bad guys came into my room and got into a fight with Seto," Mokuba reported, moving to sit on the edge of the bed and staring at the crop of spiky hair buried under the covers. "Who's that?"

"I'll tell you if you answer my questions," Yami said evenly, folding his arms. "What bad guys?"

"One of them had white hair," Mokuba replied, and Yami's blood ran cold. "He kept saying Seto attacked people and we were gonna get banned from Domino, but Seto avoided that by saying he would pay for their treatment."

"Bakura's on board," Yami breathed, his hair standing end as he realized he should've been more on-guard. Shit. Instead of taking a nap beside Yugi, he should've been with Mokuba and Kaiba to deal with the Thief King.

"He sounds like a bad guy," Mokuba yawned, kicking his shoes off and crawling into the bed. "Why'm I sleepy? Also, are you my Keeper?"

"What?" Yami snapped, his ears ringing with a strange sound at Mokuba's sudden knowledge. "Where did you learn that word?"

"Yami!" Kaiba shouted from the other room, causing them both to jump, and Yugi remained unmoving in the bed.

"Ooo Seto is mad at you," Mokuba said knowingly, giving Yami a nod. "They kept talking about you."

"Who? Bakura?" Yami asked, edging towards the door leading to the other room. "Sleep. We will talk about it later. You need rest."

Mokuba grumbled but tucked himself into bed, watching Yami's slender legs disappear through the doorway into the other room, and the door clicked shut.

Yami stood with his back against the door, watching Kaiba pacing in front of the window like a madman, and his hair stood on end.

"You…have a lot of explaining to do," Kaiba breathed, shooting Yami a glare. "Are you a king? Why are they all calling you a reject? And what the hell is this…_'registering'_ they say Mokuba needs?"

"I have a lot of_ teaching_ to do," Yami corrected Kaiba gently, pulling out a chair from the nearby desk and sitting down gracefully. "I will answer your questions now, and I'm glad you managed to get away unscathed. It is my fault completely that you are in this—"

"Damn right," Kaiba spat, striding over to Yami and looming over him in his chair. "Tell me everything."

"First, let me apologize," Yami said nervously, giving Kaiba a serious look. "…For changing you and not realizing it."

"Apology accepted, now tell me why they want to take Mokuba away from me," Kaiba seethed, wondering why his temper was flaring so suddenly. The tiny strip of sunlight coming in through the blinds was not helping his mood either.

"They want to take Mokuba out of your care because you are also a young vampire," Yami said sympathetically. "You both changed at the same time, therefore, you are the same age. He must be under the care of an older vampire who will help guide him through death, just like how you need me to guide you through death."

"So, all that Keeper and Master nonsense," Kaiba grit his teeth as he spoke. "You're the one who made me like this, so…that's you."

"Yes, I am in…as you humans would say, 'shitloads' of trouble for turning you both," Yami said with a wry smile, reminding himself that Kaiba was no longer human. "Mokuba must be registered for his own protection. Older vampires hunt younglings to raise them as personal servants or as their own, so they can learn their values while they're still malleable."

"Oh fuck," Kaiba deadpanned, pressing a hand to his face in distress. "How long until he's an adult?"

"Centuries," Yami replied seriously, feeling himself sweat. "We must protect him for at least eighteen to twenty centuries. One year for humans is roughly equivalent to half a day for vampires."

"Well, thanks for telling me now," Kaiba snapped, feeling unusually hopeless. "Mokuba is never allowed outside ever again."

"You should teach him how to fight and defend himself," Yami mused, crossing his arms tightly and lacing his fingers over his knee. "A child who can fight back is better than a child who is helpless. He still hasn't changed yet, and…have you changed?"

"Changed?" Kaiba growled, his chest heavy with dread and exhaustion.

"Into your animal form," Yami said patiently, and he received a cold look from Kaiba in response.

"You really don't know, do you," Kaiba breathed, mirroring Yami's stance and crossing his arms. "Have you seen my animal form?"

"Why, do you hate it?" Yami asked, completely oblivious to Kaiba's distress. "Show me. Don't worry about any deformations. It's only natural for the first time—"

"I am the brown wolf who went on a rampage downtown," Kaiba snapped, and he saw Yami pale significantly. "I nearly killed that girl, whatever her name is—Annie. And her boss. Those vampires were going to kill _me _for it. I blame you for that."

Yami said nothing as his eyes moistened at the corners, and Kaiba turned away from him, not wanting to see tears.

Ah fuck.

He was an asshole in this life too. Who would've guessed?

"I'm here to help," Yam said plainly, and Kaiba brushed past him coldly without sparing him a glance.

"You've helped enough, thanks," Kaiba replied sarcastically, nearing adding _'reject'_ to the end of that sentence, and he reminded himself to stay amicable before he strode out of the room and closed the door with a click.

Yami heard this thought and remained silent, listening to the Kaiba brothers converse softly through the walls, and his stomach curled with anxiety and dread.  
He needed to confront Bakura, regain control of his life, and enter society again as a functioning vampire who contributed to the clan.

After all, he had a child under his wing now, and accompanying him was a terrifying billionaire of an older brother who he was quite fond of, despite the flares in his temper.

* * *

**Author's note:**

ooouououu kaiba learns the harsh truth about yami, and learns he is on the bottom of the food chain with mokuba. What will they do next? Yami can help, but can he pull himself together enough to fight bakura for the title of 'king'?


	14. Chapter 14

Yugi slowly opened his eyes and saw a child's face hovering inches from his. He had long black hair and deep-set grey eyes that stared unblinkingly at him.

"Can I eat you?" Mokuba asked bluntly, opening his mouth to show Yugi his fangs. "I'm hungry."

Frozen to the bed, Yugi blinked, and Mokuba was swept away by his older brother who was dressed in a crisp gray suit that looked new.

"We don't get to eat until we learn 'manners,'" Kaiba rolled his eyes and plopped Mokuba down on a chair he'd pulled out from the large, oak desk. "Sit."

"But I'm _hungry!_" Mokuba raised his voice to a whine but instantly quieted when he saw Yami emerge from the other room, looking pale and haggard.

Yami eyed Kaiba wearily and nodded politely.  
The mini argument from last night was still fresh in his mind.  
Kaiba nodded stiffly back, and Mokuba watched this interaction with narrowed eyes.

"Who's mad at who?" He asked perceptively, and he was ignored.

Yami stood by the window and avoided the tiny beam of sunlight coming in through the crack of the curtains, crossing his arms stiffly and composing his lecture carefully inside his head before speaking.

"When you are hungry, you don't flash your fangs at the person," Yami said, deciding to start from the main point, and he received another eyeroll from Kaiba. "You scare them, understand, Mokuba?"

"He's not scared," Mokuba huffed, crossing his arms and giving Yami a look. "I learned. Can I eat now?"

Yugi clenched his fists over the covers, realizing that they were holding…a class?

"You're telling us shit that's common sense," Kaiba growled, also growing impatient. "Tell me something I don't know."

"You pressure them gently, and you don't force them to come with you," Yami said, eyeing Kaiba beadily. "Commanding them to sleep could cause a seizure if they have an underlying illness. The sudden disruption in their—"

"Yes we get it! Be nice to people and they will let us eat!" Mokuba shouted, jumping out of the chair and throwing Yugi a hungry look over his shoulder. "Lemme have him. He smells good!"

Mildly frightened, Yugi pulled the covers up higher over his bare chest, scanning the room frantically for his clothes. Where was his uniform?!

"See, you're scaring him," Yami said knowingly, walking forward to grab Mokuba by the hand and leading him over to the edge of the bed. "Try again. Ask nicely."

Nervous, Yugi stayed put and let Yami bring the child closer towards him.

"Hey…dude," Mokuba struggled to change his tone, and Yugi felt the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "You smell nice. Can I please have a bite out of you?"

"Why do you deserve that?" Yugi asked instantly, nervously eyeing Yami and clutching the sheets tighter to his chest. "Where are my clothes?"

"Here," Kaiba said, striding over to the closet and pulling out a pressed uniform still in its plastic from the cleaners. "Let us eat and you get your clothes."

"Yeah! Or you'll be naked forever!" Mokuba added, and Yami palmed his face in exasperation.

Yugi caught this and smiled shakily at Mokuba, "I don't think that's the lesson he wants you to learn."

"Well I asked nicely, and I didn't do the hypnosis," Mokuba pouted, giving Yami's hand a tug. "He said 'no'".

"I didn't say 'no,'" Yugi replied quickly, and he saw Yami slowly lift his head to smile gratefully at him. "I asked you why you deserved it."

"Because I'm…hungry and…" Mokuba frowned, lowering his head to stare at his toes, sounding glum. "I don't deserve it. I didn't do anything to deserve it."

"Is that correct?" Yugi asked lightly, and he received a solemn nod from Yami.

"Very well, I accept your answer," Yugi said cleverly, slowly sticking his arm out of the covers to shakily expose his pulse point. "You can have…two sips. Because I haven't eaten yet."

"Three," Mokuba insisted, and Yami's face darkened.

"One and a half, or we'll keep going lower until you apologize," Yugi said firmly, sitting up higher and understanding that these vampires had a particular way of doing things, and it was nice to see them trying to be polite about it.

Kaiba folded his arms and watched this scene from afar with rising disdain.

Yami was teaching Mokuba how to be fucking soft.  
Hypnosis was clearly the way to do it.  
Otherwise why would that even be an ability they had?

He watched Mokuba hastily bob his head in apology before grabbing Yugi's arm to bite down into it with vicious glee. Kaiba's stomach to churned at the sudden twisted expression Mokuba wore when he took one big gulp.

His angelic little brother had turned into a monster.  
They were monsters, feeding off of a high school boy's blood.  
Oh fuck.  
Yami was teaching Mokuba how to be _humane_, not soft.

Fuck.  
Fuck.  
Fuck.

The realizations were hitting Kaiba too hard and too fast.

He was a monster.  
They were all monsters pretending to have orderly society.

It didn't matter how polite you were asking—you were still biting into human flesh, drinking warm blood.

Fuck.

"Done!" Mokuba announced proudly, beaming at Yugi. "Thank you for the meal."

"Y-You're welcome?" Yugi whispered, his heart thundering in his chest when Yami hovered too close beside him on the bed.

"Then, you spit on the wound to heal it," Yami instructed, gently lifting Yugi's arm away from Mokuba's chubby hands and bending down to give the tiny pinprick a lick. The moment Yugi's blood touched the tip of his tongue, it sent a jolt of electricity crackling down his body, but Yami steeled himself to ignore it and kept his lips over the wound until he felt it close.

Mokuba watched intently as Yami showed off Yugi's arm under the light, rolling it forwards and backwards. The place where he'd bitten had disappeared. Only two, pink welts remained, looking like day-old mosquito bites.

"Can I do that?" Mokuba wondered, and he received a tight nod.

"You can heal tiny cuts and wounds on the playground like this," Yami said, and he reminded himself to shut up.  
He would not teach his way of life.  
He needed to teach Mokuba…the 'proper' way.  
The way of the hunt.  
No more casing out playgrounds and turning into small animals for tiny sips here and there.  
That would only starve Mokuba and affect his growing body.  
He needed full meals, not rations.

"Mmm okay," Mokuba replied, immediately uninterested. "Can I watch TV?"

Kaiba nodded stiffly and Mokuba cheered happily in celebration, causing Yugi to wince.

Yugi slowly edged out of bed, snatching his uniform up from the bed and getting dressed, his cheeks burning when he felt Yami's and Kaiba's gaze following his every move.

A freshly wrapped sandwich was pushed under his nose by a tanned hand, and Yugi lifted his head to see Yami smiling gently at him.

"Its about your lunch time. Please eat," Yami said, and his heart warmed when Yugi blushed and tucked the sandwich under his arm.

Kaiab frowned sourly as he watched Yugi hurry to the door without another look behind him and slam it shut with a loud _bang!_

There was a tense silence with nothing but the sounds of the TV coming from behind them before Kaiba glared at Yami.

"Great," he said dryly, crossing his arms irritably. "You let my breakfast walk out the door."

He wasn't going to tell Yami about the 'Gem of Domino' nonsense, because Yugi made an excellent meal. They had already feasted on him once, what was a few more times?

"We will get breakfast elsewhere," Yami breathed, eyeing Mokuba carefully and making sure the child was still enraptured by the TV. "I'm giving you a lesson in hunting…during the daytime."

"What, _now?_" Kaiba's stance broke, and he grit his teeth in anger. "The sun is giving me a damn headache. I'm going to take a nap until it sets."

"No." Yami said firmly, flashing Kaiba a dangerous glare. "We will now head out to find a meal in the middle of the day, and since women are a challenge for you, we will feed on a woman this time."

"Men taste better," Kaiba shot back, and Yami shook his head.

"You haven't had enough to know for sure," Yami replied simply, and Kaiba bit back an exasperated groan. Whyyy…God why….

"How will you fare when Mokuba gets hungry again?" Yami snapped, deciding to play at Kaiba's feelings for his younger brother. "What if I'm not here to guide you? We must go now. No more questions."

He brushed past Kaiba and strode to the door, resting his hand on the knob briefly before yanking it open and stepping out into the hall, praying that Kaiba would follow him. He heard footsteps behind him and threw a glance over his shoulder, relieved to see Kaiba's tall silhouette close at his heels.

Good. Argument avoided.

Yami was beginning to get the hang of dealing with Kaiba. The CEO acted heartless, but deep down, he really cared about Mokuba and the well-being of those he considered his friends.

Now for the real challenge: finding a female meal to practice on.

They fell into step beside each other, and Kaiba swallowed his anxiety, deciding not to speak. He knew why Yami insisted they find a girl this time. His performance with the black-haired woman was poor, and he really should've been more attentive, and less forceful.

Standing in the middle of a crowded ballroom, Kaiba winced at the bright streams of sunlight filtering in through the glass ceiling. He felt hungover and sluggish, even though he was just fine moments ago. The dark was preferable.  
Fuck. He couldn't function like this, let alone…seduce a woman feeling like he'd just gone on a weekend bender.

"_Please_, can we pick a man?" Kaiba asked dryly one last time, and Yami gave him a firm shake of his head.  
DAMMIT.

"I'm going to circle the room again," Yami said stiffly, giving Kaiba a nod. "Emit your pheromones carefully."

"Fine, but don't get pissed if a man comes sniffing," Kaiba replied coldly to the back of Yami's spiky hair which was already melting away into the crowd.  
Fuck…everything.  
Eating had always been hard for him, and now, it had somehow increased in difficulty and skill-level. This game sucked.

"U-Um…excuse me?" A gentle voice sounded from his left elbow, and Kaiba steeled himself to keep his face pleasant as he turned to give the woman a smile.  
Maybe this game didn't suck because he had a cheat.

"Yes?" Kaiba forced the corners of his mouth to turn upwards into a smile, and gave the woman an apprehensive up-and-down look, not caring if he came off as a pervert. She was petite, and pretty, with delicate features and silky brown hair that hung long past her waist.

Great. Long-haired girls were his thing…apparently.

"Y-You're stepping on my…m-my ticket," she blushed furiously and pointed to the ground.

Kaiba moved his foot aside and noticed that a tiny slip of paper had been caught under his shoe, so he bent down to pick it up, seeing 'RAFFLE #93' printed in bold.

"Thank you," she whispered, and their hands touched briefly when she took it from his fingertips.

"What's it for?" Kaiba asked conversationally, but she had already turned around to leave. She heard him and paused, nodding politely at him over her shoulder.

"A duel disk!" She replied happily, pointing at the large screens above their heads displaying a clock. "They'll start the drawing in a few minutes."

"You like dueling?" Kaiba asked instantly, now wondering if this girl could duel. Maybe he could have a duel and a meal with her.

Her eyes widened slightly before she shook her head in embarrassment. "N-No, I wanted to win it for my brother," she said shyly, and before Kaiba could say anything else, she turned and melted into the crowd.

Great.

Meal gone.

Hissing in annoyance, Kaiba backed away from the center of the room, eager to avoid the harsh beams of sunlight streaming down from the glass ceiling above. In his haste, he accidentally tread on someone's toe and heard a hiss of pain.

Whirling around, he saw Yugi at his elbow, gazing up at him cautiously with his large, violet eyes.

"Sorry!" Yugi breathed, wondering if he was being followed, because he'd sworn vampires didn't move around in the daytime.

_My meal!_ Kaiba crowed victoriously to himself as he mustered a kind smile for Yugi, his mouth watering heavily at the warm, welcoming scent, but to his dismay, it was once again masked heavily by the scent of wet dog. Damn those two werewolves.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba asked, trying to sound conversational, but he secretly knew. Maybe he could use this situation to his advantage.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Yugi cried defensively, pointing at the duel disks on the screens above their heads. "I'm here for the raffle! Isn't this…your event?"

_Why is the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, the inventor of the duel disk casually hanging out in the ballroom?_ Yugi wondered frantically.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes when he heard this passing thought and decided to answer Yugi directly.

"This isn't my event. It's being hosted by Industrial Illusions. The man in charge is just using my name. I'll have to fix that," Kaiba said, more to himself than anyone else.

Yugi nodded weakly, unsure of how to react. More questions were popping up in his head the longer he stood there, staring at Kaiba towering over him in the bright sunlight streaming down from the windows above.

"Come with me," Kaiba insisted, reaching down to grab Yugi by the wrist and leading him out of the ballroom. "Don't waste your time with the raffle. I can send you a duel disk when we dock."

"I'm sure you could!" Yugi replied uneasily, wondering if he should pull away and run, because he had a feeling Kaiba was leading him back to the hotel room.

Kaiba said nothing and clenched his jaw, striding purposefully ahead and feeling Yugi resist behind him. His stomach growled impatiently, and he had to remind himself to be kind. They passed a deserted hallway near an employee entrance and Kaiba pushed Yugi against the wall, his mind racing with a mixture of hunger and excitement. If he forced himself to bear it through the horrible dog scent, a delicious meal was waiting for him on the other end.

Yugi leaned anxiously back, his heart racing frantically as Kaiba bent down to give his spiky bangs a tentative sniff.

"Kaiba-kun…!" Yugi winced, his face growing hot. "I'm not sure we should be—"

"You can have whatever you want," Kaiba chanted, his eyes darkening as he dragged them intrusively down Yugi's slender body, fixating on a pale collarbone. "You know who I am. Just ask, and you can have it."

"I…I don't know?" Yugi whispered, flattening his palms against the wall and desperately wondering where Yami was. He'd just met these two, but he had a feeling Yami was more nurturing, and Kaiba was dangerous.

"Then you can think about it while I eat," Kaiba said casually, reaching up to graze his knuckles over Yugi's plump cheek, his stomach churning. "…Agree?"

Yugi blinked once and hesitated before nodding ever so slightly. He wasn't sure what possessed him to agree. A part of him was intrigued, and excited at the idea of having Kaiba's willingness to help him with anything, but another part of him was uncertain, and frightened because something dangerous was still happening here.

_But he's...handsome_, Yugi reasoned with himself, faltering when he caught a whiff of Kaiba's sweet scent, and he relaxed instantly. This was fine. Kaiba-kun didn't want to kill him. Yami was there to keep him in check…. but Yami wasn't here right now.

"Look at me," Kaiba breathed, and Yugi turned his head slowly upwards, his body burning with a strange fire when he met Kaiba's clear blue eyes.

Suddenly, he was being kissed, and Yugi blinked rapidly, trying to gather his bearings, but a hot tongue was roaming sensually along his lower lip, sending a wonderful shiver down his spine. Parting his mouth, Yugi held his breath and melted happily into Kaiba's kiss, enjoying the way strong arms came up to embrace him around his shoulders while a silky tongue prodded the roof of his mouth, exploring him gently.

Kaiba pulled away slowly to drag his mouth down the side of Yugi's neck, his ears ringing with the rapid thudding of Yugi's heartbeat. Holy shit. Was this guy scared or aroused? He couldn't tell the difference.

"Let me have…a taste," Kaiba said quietly, his lips gently grazing Yugi's skin with every word, his mind humming strangely with longing and hunger.

Struggling with himself, Yugi kept his eyes tightly shut and nodded, his lips stinging and swelling from the loss of contact. He waited for the sting of fangs, but none came. Instead, there were slow, lustful swirls of Kaiba's tongue on his neck, moving lower and lower, before he changed directions and began travelling up higher to meet his lips again, and Yugi found himself being kissed passionately again, and his mind spun with confusion.

Kaiba bided his time, waiting for Yugi's heartbeat to slow down but it seemed the kissing had an opposite effect. Growling to himself, Kaiba decided he was done waiting, and dipped his head down to land a swift bite above Yugi's left collarbone, his mind rushing with pleasure when a gush of sweetness coated his tongue and streamed down his throat. Amazing. He could stomach through the horrid stench if he was hungry enough….

He felt Yugi instantly weaken in his arms, and he jerked his head back fearfully, licking his lips and seeing the two, bright red welts he'd left on Yugi's skin, and he hastily bent forward to pass his tongue over the wounds, the way he'd seen Yami do it several times before.

Yugi regained his strength and squirmed, gripping Kaiba's forearms tightly and laughing at the ticklish sensation.

Kaiba smiled into Yugi's soft skin and pulled away to press one last soft kiss on Yugi's chin, and he felt hot hands cup the sides of his face, angling his head down for another passionate, open-mouthed kiss. Yugi winced when he could taste the metallic heaviness of his own blood on Kaiba's breath, but the wonderful head rush he got from locking his arms around Kaiba's neck made up for that. Kaiba-kun was a wonderful kisser!

Kaiba heard this thought and his heart soared with triumph. Really? That was good to hear.

He pressed himself down insistently onto Yugi's lips, relishing their softness, and he found that he couldn't stop. Yugi was a different kind of drug—one that made him toss reason out the window.

Suddenly, the air around them grew deathly cold, and Yugi thunked his head back on the wall, panting breathlessly, his lungs aching from sudden temperature change.

Kaiba felt the cold presence seeping into his bones, and jerked his head to the side, horrified to see Yami standing at the mouth of the hallway, glaring venomously at them.

"So, when I said to make a meal out of a woman, you disobeyed me," Yami hissed, clenching his fists at his sides in restraint when he saw Yugi blush adorably and look away, embarrassed.

"I tried," Kaiba answered lightly, tucking his chin protectively over the top of Yugi's spiky hair and gazing directly at the wall in front of his nose, suppressing a shiver.

"Looks like you intentionally sought out a meal you weren't supposed to be having," Yami growled, noticing Kaiba behaving protectively, and he grit his teeth in frustration.  
New vampires were infuriating for this very reason. When something always worked for them, that would be the method they would employ for the next decade.  
It was unhealthy. How many times would he need to correct this behavior in Kaiba?  
This would get exhausting, fast.

Yugi said nothing and realized his arms were still looped around Kaiba's neck, so he hastily dropped them to his sides, understanding that Kaiba had been instructed to avoid him, and had done the exact opposite.

"Let him go," Yami said, trying to keep the emotion from leaking into his voice. As much as he enjoyed Yugi too, the spiky-haired boy was once again reeking of werewolves. Kaiba must've stomached the horrible scent just to get a bite. Admirable, but also despicable.

"I'm taking him back with us," Kaiba insisted, tightening his arms around Yugi's hips, and Yami pressed a hand to his face, biting back a tired sigh.

"We can't do that. Let him…go," Yami said quietly, and to his relief, he saw Yugi untangle himself from Kaiba's embrace and inch out from underneath him.

"I'm sorry, I let him," Yugi squeaked, bending himself into a nervous bow, and he straightened up hastily to rush past Yami to his freedom, his ears burning terribly.

The sound of Yugi's footsteps faded away and Yami folded his arms, glaring at Kaiba, who was still leaning against the wall in the same position where Yugi had left him.

"Kaiba…" Yami began, but he was cut off when the CEO straightened up with fire in his eyes to argue with him.

"I have several problems with the way you do things," Kaiba said stiffly, his tongue still buzzing from the electricity of Yugi's blood, but he ignored it. "From what I've learned about this new life so far, it's that if you don't stake your claim on something, it's not yours. We can have him to ourselves, you know that?"

"He's not for us to have," Yami hissed, taking a step forward, intent on keeping their fight in hushed tones, but Kaiba wanted to challenge him. He knew the CEO was behaving brashly on purpose. Kaiba knew Yugi was untouchable, right? They would have to fight a hoard of werewolves for him, and quite possibly, Bakura's clan.

"I know that," Kaiba raged, finally leaning away from the wall to face Yami. "That's why you've been starving yourself, living as a cat. I also have Mokuba to think about. Yugi is perfect for him—for us, and if you're dumb enough to stop me, we're not on the same team."

Yami swallowed thinly and said nothing. Turning Kaiba was either the best or worst thing he'd ever done this century. If they fought Bakura's clan and lost, they would have to leave Domino City forever, but if they won…. A comfortable life was surely attainable, right? Was he being naïve to hope for that outcome?

"See you back in the room," Kaiba said, sweeping past Yami and passing a hand under his lip, making sure there were no residual blood flecks.

Yami didn't move and kept his arms tightly folded, staring at the blank, white door of the employee entrance at the end of the hall, his mind racing.

Kaiba's harsh words had sparked a rare fire of hope in him.  
"Team" was not a word in his vocabulary, but Kaiba had said it to him so frankly, it had stunned him. Kaiba's rage and determination was incredible. The CEO had passed through death's door and was still fighting for luxuries worth living for.

He wanted the same thing every vampire wanted: a happy, comfortable life surrounded by loved ones.

_I will prepare to help him in this endeavor,_ Yami decided, nodding to himself.

It was time to come out of the shadows as a "fallen king,", and fight beside Kaiba for life's necessities, starting with their favorite meal, Yugi.

* * *

**Author's note:**

kaiba gets a lesson in hunting during the daytime and cant stop repeating bad habits, but this inspires yami to be a better vampire somehow? LOL idk these two I swear xP

ALSO i made some CUTE YGO VINYL STICKERS

**link to more here! (see more at [pinkpafu] on insta!)**


End file.
